In the Grip of Madness
by phoenixreal
Summary: Canon Divergent Post Fullbringer Arc. Ichigo finds himself at the wrong end of Soul Society's wrath. Accused of a terrible crime he didn't commit, he's subjected to imprisonment and torture as punishment and revenge. When the true culprit reveals himself, and releases Soul Society from the grip of hypnosis...they realize what they've done. YAOI/SLASH/MXM Torture Graphic
1. When They Turn on Their Own

Birthday Gift for AppleCiderr! Happy Birthday!

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 **In the Grip of Madness**

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 _This is canon divergent fanfiction. Canon events are consistent until the end of the Fullbringer Arc. In some cases, the characters and their personalities have been altered to fit the situation. Changes in personalities are an effect of removing characters from their situations and changing them. The story focuses a lot on psychological effects of torture, abuse, and includes graphic depictions of violence._

 _Warnings_

 _This is a hardcore yaoi fanfiction. This is rated MA. This contains explicit sexual content. This story includes humiliation, non-consensual slavery, forced bondage, sexual torture and rape. This story can contain at any time the things listed in the tags for this story._

 _Tags: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con_

 _Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Violence, Insanity, Insane Ichigo, Unethical Experimentation, Torture, Blood, Blood and Gore, Soul Society Turns on Ichigo, Ichigo is Alone, Hurt Ichigo, Hurt/Comfort, Broken Ichigo, Aizen has a Change of Heart, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Alpha/Beta, Kurotsuchi is an Asshole, Mad Science, Psychological Torture, forced mating, Pheromones, Animalistic, Animal Traits, Pain, Bloodplay, Amputation, Post-Fullbringer Arc, Perfect Hypnosis, Arrancar, Arrancar City, Espada, Uke Ichigo, Ichigo-centric, Sub Ichigo, BAMF Ichigo, Aizen Cares, Seme Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Seme Aizen Sousuke, Sexual Confusion, Gender Confusion, Bondage and Discipline, Domination, Loss of Control, Control Issues._

 _This story is not intended to be read by individuals under the age of 18. The author takes no responsibility for individuals that do not pay attention to warnings presented at the beginning of this story._

 _Disclaimer_

 _I do not claim ownership of any part of the Bleach universe or of the Bleach characters. Tite Kubo owns this amazing world; I am simply playing within it. Original elements do belong to me. There is no copyright infringement intended and I in no way make money from writing or posting this work of fanfiction._

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 **Chapter One**

 _When They Turn on Their Own_

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[Day 5]

Ichigo sat in his room reading through a book for some of his choices in University. He was trying to not think about anything related to Soul Society. He was really, really trying not to remember the events over the last few months. He felt betrayed still. To actually spy on him and measure his power and what he did… In a way, he guessed he understood. The way his powers worked was a bit scary, he supposed. Now that he knew about Kugo, he supposed that it made sense. He put down the book and looked at the badge where it sat on the desk beside his bed. He sighed. He still wasn't sure what to think of everything that had happened. He was grateful that Soul Society gave his power back to him, but he still felt strange about it. There was something in the back of his mind.

 _King. You know, if something feels wrong it is. But if it feels right…_

 _Shut up, Shiro,_ Ichigo said with a sigh. _I just don't know any more what I think about anyone._

There was a giggle in his head. _I do. Fuck 'em. We should just take off on our own. Why don't you just drop out and we'll just go on forever. I just got you back, King. I don't wanna lose you again._

 _Shiro…_ he thought with a deep sigh. The words that Shiro had said when he had given up his power rang in his head like bells. "The only one I wanted to protect…was you."

 _King, I don't like what I feel._

 _What do you mean?_ Ichigo said with a deep frown.

 _Something…something's not right. I just…_ Shiro's voice paused. _King. I'm afraid._

Ichigo realized the weight of that statement. The hollow? Afraid? Of what? The only time he'd been afraid was when he knew he was going to give up his power to defeat Aizen. Ichigo had no idea what else could make Shiro afraid. Shiro was a reflection of himself, of course.

"You're scared…" he whispered out loud. "Of what?"

 _King…I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you more. I'm…so sorry._

Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened with a bang. He looked up to see his father was staring at him with a look that he had never seen. It was somewhere between fury and sadness. There was no trace of the light that normally lit up his eyes when he looked at his son.

"Pop?" he asked, confused by the look.

"What did you do?" Isshin said with a deathly calm to his voice.

Ichigo blinked and shook his head. "What? What do you mean? I haven't been doing much but getting ready to start classes…" he said looking at him with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I can't protect you, Ichigo. You've…you've crossed the line. I…I don't know you anymore. I can't intervene," he said and turned and left with no other comment.

Ichigo stared at the doorway and wondered just what the hell that had been about. He started to stand up and then felt the sensation of someone pushing his soul form out of his body. He stumbled and turned to watch his human form fall back onto his bed and he was staring at Rukia, a different glove on her hand. He shook his head, feeling odd when she did it. It was like it drained his power this time. It was like nothing he'd ever felt when she'd done it before.

"Hey, what was that for?" he asked as he looked at her. "Wh-what's wrong with me…" he muttered and shook his head to try and clear the dizziness that came from his power lowering rapidly.

"I can't believe you'd do this, Ichigo," she said with deadly calm. She had a completely blank look on her face and he didn't know what to think of it.

Ichigo shook his head. "What…what's going on?" he said, looking at her and feeling the heaviness of several captain level reiatsu coming toward the house.

"We trusted you. We gave your power back, and you turn on us like this? You would do something so vile to us?" she said and her face twisted into something that Ichigo recognized as hatred. "How could you let this happen? To do this. I watched you, Ichigo. I saw what you did, every second of it. Don't deny your guilt."

Ichigo looked up as Byakuya and Renji stepped down into the room, the same look of disgust and hate on their faces.

"What…I didn't…I haven't even stepped out of my human body since I got back from Soul Society the last time I saw you!" he said, looking between three accusing stares. His head still felt weird.

"Your lies will not save you, Kurosaki," Byakuya said. "What you have done…there is no redemption for you. I knew that when I saw the creature the first time we fought that this day would come. I regret that we did not take preemptive action sooner."

Ichigo just stared as Renji took a step forward and snapped a collar around his neck. Ichigo gasped, choking, as his shihakuso faded into white, his powers fading into the background. He heard Shiro screaming in the back of his mind before he was silenced.

Sobbing quietly, Shiro's voice rang clearly. _I'm so sorry, King…so sorry…I loved you, know that…_

Ichigo choked a sob back himself as fell forward and felt the world fade away.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Day 6]

Ichigo woke up alone, in a place he remembered vividly from when he had rescued Rukia. He turned to the wall and stared out the slit onto what used to be Sokoyu Hill. And he was alone. He couldn't hear Shiro. He couldn't hear Zangetsu. He couldn't feel anything. He reached tentative hands up and felt the stone collar around his neck. Seki seki stone. The same thing this place was made of. It blocked all reiatsu. He tried to reach for his head and found his wrists were chained to the floor in rings on either side of him. He started when he heard a voice behind and above him and saw Renji standing at the top of the stairs.

"I don't know you, you are nothing to us," Renji said with a flat, dead sound to his voice. "There is nothing but suffering in Soul Society for you now. You would be strung up and destroyed on Sokoyu Hill if it hadn't been destroyed. So instead, you'll stay here until his services and memorial are finished. What you've done…death is too good for you. Your name will be profane in the mouths of all in Soul Society. None will remember you with anything but scorn."

Ichigo looked at him with wide eyes. He pulled on the chains and they rattled loudly in the empty room. "What…what are you talking about? I haven't done anything!" he screamed at him. "Why am I here? What happened?"

Renji snorted. "You were my best friend. But I would gladly end your life right now if the Head Captain hadn't decreed that you would stay here and rot until you are forgotten. At few years of solitude should encourage you to explain yourself and stop this act of innocence. The fact that you will not admit to your deeds is worse than what you've done. You will fade from all memory."

Ichigo shook his head. "What…I don't…what do you think I did?" he screamed at him. Renji was his best friend. He was the one person he trusted more than anyone. What could he possibly think he'd done?

"You murdered Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, and there is never going to be forgiveness for you here," Renji said and turned and left him.

Ichigo fell to his knees and stared after him. He didn't kill anyone. He hadn't even left his human form in almost two months. He sat there and tried to understand what was happening to him. How could they think he killed Jūshirō? How? He couldn't have done that. There was no way. He hadn't left his human body. He couldn't even get to Soul Society by himself, anyway, he never had been able to do that. Not only that, but the vasto lorde form was impossible to control. It wasn't something he could make happen; he'd been dead the last time. He licked his lips, staring at the bracers with the chains and nodded to himself.

"They'll come back. They'll realize they're wrong. They have to. I didn't do anything. I trust them," he said emphatically as he sat back on his heels. "They'll investigate it. And they'll figure out what really happened. Renji and Rukia wouldn't let me stay here if I wasn't guilty. There's no way. I'll wait," he said and looked up to the door. Four days passed before it opened again, and he waited.

Ichigo believed that they would realize they were wrong, and that was okay. He'd be fine with it, and he'd go home and carry on with his life, or he'd stay in Soul Society to figure out what happened to Jūshirō. Something had happened to him, and he knew he didn't do anything, so he had to find out who did. He knew they'd figure it out. Of course they were. They were his friends and family. They wouldn't believe he could do something so terrible. Renji and Rukia were upset, that's all. They didn't mean what they said, neither did his father. It would all be fine.

[Day 10]

There was a bang and he looked to see his father in his shihakuso, Kurotsuchi, Orihime, Uryū, and Chad walking down with the Head Captain.

The head captain stood in front of him and looked at him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. You are summarily charged and convicted of the murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake. You have done this with no honor and after Soul Society has instilled trust in a second substitute Shinigami. Without the Sokoyu, you will not be executed. The Gotei 13 have decided that for such a terrible crime, death would be too kind. You will remain here, alone, for a period of no less than five years. At the end of each year, you will be offered an opportunity to confess your crimes. If you choose to do so, you will be mercifully executed and allowed to return to the cycle. After five years, if you choose not to unburden yourself, Captain Kurotsuchi has be requested time to examine your unique physiology to understand what has caused this terrible turn of events. It is with great sadness I deliver the verdict."

The head captain turned and left, leaving the others there. Ichigo looked at his father and his friends franticly. "I didn't do this! I didn't kill anyone!"

Kurosuchi smiled at him and held up a device that projected an image of the koi pond where Ukitake often sat. To Ichigo's horror, he watched as his own image appeared behind him, wearing the Vizard mask, and stabbed the captain of the thirteenth division through the back. He watched as his form dropped to his knees behind him and gasped as the hollow mask expanded and shifted into the vasto lorde form that he'd held to fight Ulquiorra. He consumed Ukitake's soul entirely. The image winked out and Ichigo stared at the space for a long time. He looked at his father.

"That…that wasn't me! I didn't do that! You know I haven't left home in two months, Pop! How would I even get here? How? I don't have the ability to open a senkaimon!" he yelled.

Isshin shook his head and turned away and waited with his back to Ichigo.

"Pop! Please! I wouldn't do something like this! I can't! I can't use that form at will!" he begged as he tried to get his hands free, but he was so weak without any of his reiatsu. "I wouldn't let anything like that happen! I'd kill myself before I let the hollow control me! You know that!"

He looked up as Orihime came forward, tears streaming down her face. Her lip quivered and she slapped him. He looked at her and couldn't believe they would think this of him.

"I loved you, Kurosaki. I loved you. To think, you are the monster you swore you weren't. You will get what you deserve," she whispered and went to stand beside Isshin with her back to him and he could hear her sobbing.

Ichigo looked at Chad with pleading eyes as he stood quietly facing him. "Chad…you've known me for so long, you know I would never hurt someone! I don't even kill the people I fight!"

"I would not have though you capable of being corrupted. I know that Ichigo would not hurt anyone. The creature inside you, however, had no such restraint. I am sorry it has corrupted the person that was my friend," Chad said and turned away as well.

Ichigo's eyes went wide. "No! You know that! Uryū! Please, I can't do something like this! You…you know that! We've fought back to back how many times? You know I can't do this!" he said and he felt tears starting to slide down his cheeks.

Uryū looked for a long time at Ichigo then shook his head. "I hated all Shinigami, and I hated hollows, and right now, all I want to do is put an arrow between your eyes, Kurosaki. But I won't because destroying your soul is too good of a punishment for you. That thing corrupted you. There is nothing of the person that was my friend left, is there?" he said quietly.

Ichigo shook his head. "No! Ishida! You know me! I can't do such a thing! You know…" he stammered but Uryū moved and punched him across the face, sending him to the floor as blood dripped from his lip. Uryū shook his head and spit on him as he turned away.

Kurotsuchi smirked. "You will be mine, Kurosaki. We'll take you apart and find out why that created hollow of Aizen's managed to corrupt you so completely. First, though, the head captain wants to give you a chance to think about your actions and admit to them."

They stood there for a moment and Ichigo couldn't help. He pulled himself up to his knees and sat back on his heels, hands laying limply in his lap with the palms open and up toward them. "Please! I didn't do anything…but I'll give up my power, all of it! I'll go back to being human again, I don't care, just don't leave me here alone! I'll give it up, all of it, you can take it all away! I'll never even fight again, whatever you need me to do, just let me go home! I want to be with my family, my sisters, you, Pop! Please, I'm your son and you're just going to leave me here like this?"

Isshin turned back and looked at him as he stared at him. "I no longer have a son. He's dead. His ashes have already been laid to rest by his mother. I was proud of my son. He was a good boy and would have made a good man. I'm sorry that I never got to see my son grow up. My daughters will remember the son I used to have, not the monster that is locked into this tower."

Ichigo's breath caught and he felt more tears sliding down his face as he watched them walk up the stairs and leave. None looked back at him again. He didn't want to cry, but he couldn't help it. His heart was breaking into a million pieces and everyone abandoned him there. He didn't care what they'd said, he didn't, he would have forgiven them in a second if they'd just come back to him and took him home. The door slammed with a bang and he flinched violently at the sound.

"No…please…don't leave me…don't…don't leave me alone…." He sobbed as the chains released, leaving him free to move around the small room. He simply sat there for hours, staring at the door, willing it to open again and someone, anyone, to come in and tell him it was all a mistake.

The door didn't open again.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Day 14]

"Yo, Aizen-sama," came a voice into the nearly empty conference room.

"What is it, Grimmjow?"

The chair turned and Sōsuke Aizen set his eyes on the sixth Espada. Grimmjow grinned at Aizen as he sauntered up and sat in the chair to the left of him. He kicked his legs up and leaned back, running a hand over his blue hair.

"You were fucking right, they turned on him without a second thought," he said with a shake of his head. "Never thought it would be so fast. Shit, it was like what, two weeks?"

"They didn't kill him; I hope? You were to retrieve him if they were planning to execute him," he said with a sigh. "Please tell me that you didn't make a mess of this."

"Nah, they've put him in solitary for a while," Grimmjow said with a smile. "Fucking locked him in that white tower of theirs. I was at the 'trial', whatever you want to call it using that device that Octavo gave me. Here, I got a recording Aaroniero made."

Grimmjow tossed a disk in the center of the table and it projected an image above it.

The captains stood in their positions with their lieutenants standing behind them. The Head Captain spoke up first. "Present the evidence."

Rukia stepped up. "I witnessed Ichigo Kurosaki enter the grounds near Ukitake-Taichou's koi pond. He impaled him from behind and…and…he fell down to his knees. Ichigo…or whatever the thing is that used to be Ichigo…knelt down and…consumed his soul form. He then left in a sonido. The sound was not a Shunpo. The reiatsu was tightly controlled, something that Ichigo Kurosaki has never been able to do. It felt hollow and very powerful. There is no doubt, however, that it was Ichigo Kurosaki's reiatsu."

Rukia stepped back behind the two lieutenants for the thirteen division and looked down. The head captain looked around. "Confirmation has been made by Kurotsuchi-Taichou?"

Kurotsuchi stepped forward. "I retrieved the memory from Kuchiki-san's mind and was able to record it. I have the disk here to submit as evidence," he said and moved forward to hand it to the head captain. "No other confirmation was possible at the location of the attack."

The Head Captain played it as everyone watched. "The evidence is damning. Is there anyone that wishes to present any doubt?"

Zaraki shook his head. "No. Something happened. That was not something Kurosaki would do."

"Do you have any evidence, Zaraki-Taichou?"

"I know he would not do something like this, he's a fighter, not that thing, that's enough," he said and glared at them.

Everyone else was quiet. The Head Captain spoke up again. "Very well. We will vote for or against conviction."

The vote was unanimous save Zaraki. "Now, the punishment for this crime."

"He should not be executed and returned to the cycle," Renji said from behind Byakuya. "That is far too good for him."

Byakuya looked up. "Sou-taichou. I would suggest that we give him time in confinement and then allow him to admit to his deeds. If he can admit to his deeds, then he should be allowed a merciful execution. He may not, however. I saw the creature and it is possible that he did not do it while in control of himself. That does not matter, however. If Kurosaki cannot control the creature, he must be executed as a clear and present threat."

"Very well. We shall deliver the verdict to the prisoner," the Head Captain said. "He will be remanding to confinement for five years. If during that time he confesses, he will be executed to return to the cycle. If he does not…"

"Pardon me," Kurotsuchi said with a grin. "If I may, if he does not confess, he may not remember the deed, as Kuchiki-Taichou suggests. It may be honest on his part that he does not recall the event, instead the hollow having taken him over without his knowledge. If he cannot confess after five years, I recommend allowing me to try and extract the hollow from him, or at the very least, understand how this has happened. Either I will be able to remove the hollow, and let him free once we are certain he is not a danger, or I will not, and we can execute him at that point."

The head captain nodded. "Agreed."

The recording faded out. Grimmjow snorted. "They didn't even fucking pick up on what you did to prove he was innocent. I mean, damn, I could have put that together, and I'm not a fucking captain."

"You see that, my dear friend?" Aizen said and looked at the other end of the table where the white haired Jūshirō Ukitake sat with a thick collar of seki seki stone and glaring at Aizen. His shihakuso was white and his swords were encased in a vault of the same stone that was around his neck. "You swore that your people would give him a fair trial to prove his innocence. I left so much that they could have seen, and only Zaraki refused to believe it. Of course, only because he sees him as good fighter. That was not a trail, it was a confirmation of what they had already decided. They didn't give him even a chance to speak."

"Why?" Jūshirō said as he shook his head. "Why would you do this to Ichigo?" He chose to ignore the fact that Soul Society had just did what he had feared the most. After what happened with Rukia, and the other substitute Shinigami… They had not learned.

"To show him that his friends are not his friends. Do you have any idea how difficult setting up this ruse was for me, Jūshirō?" Aizen said with a sigh. "Putting those Arrancar in place to make it look like my Espada died to your people. Then Gin turns on me? That was perhaps the only thing that really surprised me. Tōsen's sacrifice was appreciated, however. It was an excellent distraction. And then, the poor sacrificial lamb that is now housed in the maggot's nest with my face."

"Hey, I didn't let no underling take my fucking place," Grimmjow growled. "Most of us, anyway. I finished my fucking fight, and Barragan, Zommari, and Yammy went down before you got them out. Szayelaporro had that stupid regeneration device, still can't believe that damn thing worked. Then you pulled Ulquiorra's broken ass back before it got obliterated, anyway. You did a good job with that, too. That stupid Quincy and woman never noticed when he disappeared and reappeared. I don't fucking miss Yammy, though, fucking asshole," he muttered. "Zommari was just fucking creepy."

"I know, Grimmjow, I know. At least I was able to heal Starrk and Hallibel's fraccion when we came back from the World of the Living. As luck would have it, I managed to save Nnoitra before he perished completely," he said with a sigh. "We did suffer losses, of course. All but a few that you saw die, did. Barragan's fraccion, Grimmjow's, the others that were sacrificed like the priverion. Szayelaporro wasn't too difficult, he had a way to resurrect himself infinitely in place already. And all the ajunca that died in the siege. So in all, the only illusions I maintained were replacing Ulquiorra, which was easy since Ichigo hadn't seen my Shikai, however, in that state, he didn't care what he destroyed. It looked somewhat like the monster he was fighting, but not quite…you never realized that the woman had viewed my Shikai. And the Quincy? He wasn't paying attention enough to notice the change."

Aizen smiled again. "Then, of course, my own illusion of death, again. I really, really am shocked that you fell for that twice. I did use the hypnosis when Nnoitra fought Zaraki, of course, only at the very end so he would think him dead. Nnoitra wasn't about to pass up on a fight like that. You all underestimated my abilities, greatly."

"I can't believe your Zanpakutō was able to do this much," Jūshirō said as he shook his head. "We knew, even after you feigned your own death, what it could do. And we should have seen your ruse for what it was."

"It took a while to restore my forces, Jūshirō, that's why it took so long. But my real aim was the Kurosaki boy. He has my greatest work inside him, and I will have it returned," Aizen said with a shrug.

"You never really wanted the King's Key," Jūshirō said with a sigh.

"Not at all. I wanted the boy. But first, I had to see his true power and potential. And now, I'll show him his friends and family are not who he believes they are, and then he will come to me willingly as I actually retrieve the oaken and get to the Soul King," Aizen said with a smile. "I may have not wanted it then, but I will take it eventually. I have patience, Jūshirō. Much patience. And everything is going according to my plan."

Jūshirō shook his head and felt the deep dread filling him. There was no hope now. If they truly believed he was dead, and Ichigo was the cause, Jūshirō knew that Rukia and Renji would not intercede on Ichigo's behalf. They wouldn't listen to reason unless Jūshirō could return to them. They would not want to think that he wasn't dead after what they saw. And then, the idea that he was actually imprisoned would be beyond their imagining.

"How did you manage to convince them that Ichigo killed me?" he said.

"That was simple. I went with Ulquiorra, used the hypnosis to show Rukia a different scene, and he and I returned with you," Aizen said flippantly. "You didn't even feel our presence. The one thing having Szayelaporro around is great for is his ability to invent things."

Jūshirō shook his head. He had nothing to say for that. Aizen smirked and looked to Grimmjow.

"Sexta, take our friend to his new accommodations. I'm sure he's quite exhausted with his power sealed like that. Oh, and Jūshirō, don't try anything. I'd hate to have to actually kill you, and then simply destroy the boy," Aizen said as Grimmjow pulled the powerless Shinigami to his feet and took him to his tower prison.

Aizen smiled to himself in the quiet of the white room. Oh, they would have no idea what was coming, he thought to himself.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 1]

The first year was easier than he expected. He focused on dealing with what had happened. He rationalized that their grief clouded their judgement, of course it had. He knew that his father was just trying to protect his sisters. If he sided with Ichigo, he took the chance that Soul Society would turn on them. He'd stare out the slight slit in the wall and see the Shinigami move around their lives. Now and then, he'd catch sight of someone he knew, but doing so only tore at his heart even more. But surely they would realize that they were wrong. His mind would repeat the horrific images from what they'd shown him. He hadn't done that. He couldn't have, could he? Maybe he did do that. But he couldn't. He couldn't get to Soul Society alone. How could they believe that he could have done that?

Surely. He was hopeful. He had to be to make it through this.

When the head captain came to him at the end of the first year, he'd begged him to think about how he could have done what they accused him of. He told him that he couldn't have done it, and begged him to just try to figure out what really happened because Ukitake's real murderer was still out there. The Head Captain said nothing as he listened to Ichigo until he asked the question.

"Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

Ichigo had told him no. He had left Ichigo without a word. He stood in the room for a long moment before he fell to his knees. That was it? A year and that was all he got? One question?

[Year 2]

The second year was worse. He was having trouble holding onto hope. He would stand and stare out the slit in the wall and just stare. He paced around the room, and knew exactly how many steps it was in every direction. He could find his way without looking. He knew how many steps and how far. His clothes were beginning to tatter, and he was wondering if they would give him any more. He would break down and cry now and then, mostly out of desperation. He just wanted to hear someone's voice, anyone's voice.

At the end of that second year, Ichigo had broken down and sobbed, begging him to please let him go home. He begged him to strip his powers away, do anything, render him human, anything, he just wanted to leave the confinement.

"Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

The head captain left without comment once again. He had sobbed into his arms until he passed out afterward. Another year. Another year alone…

[Year 3]

The third year he couldn't help but feel like he was never leaving the small room. He was so mad, though. He would scream at nothing and punch at the walls until his hands bled. When the did he'd just stand and watch the blood drip from his knuckles onto the floor. It reminded him of rain. He'd always liked the rain. It was so very pretty. He shook it away and felt the anger build. How dare they? How dare they think him capable of doing something like this? They didn't even talk to him before he was convicted! And Rukia, that bitch…how dare she stand there and tell him that he did such a thing. And when he saw Renji again, he was going to pull all that obnoxious red hair out of his head for what he'd said. How dare they!

The end of the third year, Ichigo was still so very angry. He screamed and yelled at the head captain. He told him how much he had given to Soul Society and how mad he was that they could simply abandon him like this. He raged and told him how terrible they were.

"Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

Ichigo had screamed at him that he didn't kill anyone, he didn't even kill people he beat in battle, otherwise Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Byakuya would be dead! But then, the head captain had simply walked away, leaving Ichigo gasping for breath on the floor after his tirade of anger. Ichigo couldn't make the voice in his head that kept cackling and screaming stop after that.

[Year 4]

The fourth year stretched on endlessly. Time became ephemeral for him. The voice, the one he started calling Shiro because it sounded like the hollow, kept telling him things that made him wonder if he was worth saving anymore. It would laugh and talk to him and sometimes he'd talk back to it. In a way it was comforting. He knew it wasn't real, though, so what was the harm? It was just his mind coping with the loneliness. Then, as time passed, he simply would lay on the floor and stare into nothingness, talking to "Shiro" now and then. There was no point. There was nothing in him anymore.

That fourth year, he simply sat against the wall and looked at the head captain. He said nothing to him until he asked the question Ichigo knew was coming.

"Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

Ichigo just told him that they didn't kill anyone. The head captain turned and left him again. The head captain didn't comment that he had used "we" when speaking of himself.

[Year 5]

The fifth year seemed to phase in and out. He would scream and rage at nothing, then fall to the floor and sob until he started laughing. That was when he started trying to kill himself. He'd dig into his flesh and watch the blood flow and laugh until he passed out. He would wake to find his body mended. They wouldn't let him die. Of course, they wouldn't let him die. The second voice would chastise him for doing something like that. Zan, he called this voice. Slowly, though, the idea that these two voices were in his head and not real began to lose purchase in his thoughts. He would have whispered conversations with Zan and Shiro, and then they'd fight with each other, which that was annoying.

The end of the fifth year loomed. The sound of the door unsealing frightened him into yelping in surprise. He looked up and scrambled to his feet. Even though he had told himself to stop hoping, when that door opened each year, he held onto the barest shred of hope. He hoped they had realized their mistake. He hoped they had figured out that he hadn't done what they said he'd done, what they'd seen him do. He watched as the head captain and his lieutenant came down with Kurotsuchi. Five years. If they didn't believe him, Kurotsuchi was taking him. They approached.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. The period of five years ends of your solitary confinement for contemplation has passed. You have the choice to admit to and ask forgiveness for your deeds and be executed with compassion, or you will be remanded to the Research division to understand what has caused your descent into hollow behavior. Four times you have continued to deny your actions. Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

Ichigo shook his head. "We…" he coughed as his voice cracked from disuse. "We didn't…I didn't kill Jūshirō!" he said despite planning to admit to it.

He had tried to make the choice to just tell them he did it so they'd kill him and release him from this torment. But he couldn't admit to something he never would have done in his life. He couldn't do it. Shiro laughed in his head and called him weak.

The head captain nodded. "Very well, Captain Kurotsuchi, he is yours to do as you will. I will continue to check in to see if he decides to confess each year," he said and he left.

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he felt something, some sort of kido, warp around him and the world faded from existence for a while.

When he woke, he found himself strapped to a table that was tilted halfway up and blinking into the bright lights of Kurotsuchi lab. His mouth was gagged and there were people running around and talking. He looked up as Kurotsuchi came up in front of him.

"Hello, Kurosaki," he said and gave him a look. "You see, I'm slightly insane, I'm sure you know," he said. "So now, we're going to find out what makes you who you are."

Kurotsuchi leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "For what it's worth, I don't believe that you killed Ukitake," he said. "But I voted to convict you, making it almost unanimous, because I wanted to get ahold of you to experiment and research on this created Hollow that Aizen made."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he stepped back. "Now, this will hurt. A lot," he said as he injected something into Ichigo's arm. Ichigo didn't know when he stopped screaming. He didn't think he ever did.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 6]

The first year with the crazy scientist was the easiest, of course. The first year mostly was comprised of Kurotsuchi testing every aspect of him. He mostly spent it in incredible degrees of agony. Within the first few months, after the testing, Kurotsuchi had come up with ways to dampen Ichigo's powers without using seki seki stone. This was a great breakthrough for his research, for one. He found that by injecting certain serums, he could artificially block the flow of spiritual energy in the body. Doing so was incredibly painful, excruciating, in fact, because it was something that was not tolerable by a being fueled by spiritual energies completely. It took time, but Kurotsuchi began to fine tune the procedure, and instead of knocking Ichigo unconscious for days at a time, it would only cut access to one area of his spiritual energy. But by the end, he sat in the cell he'd been given and glared at the head captain as he asked the question again.

"Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

Ichigo shook his head violently and ran at the clear barrier. He screamed at him. "No! No! We…I never killed him!" He beat on the clear wall and continued to scream at him even after the sound was turned off to the outside. He slid to his knees and watched him leave again.

[Year 7]

The second year was worse. Kurotsuchi was trying to rip his soul apart, he knew it without being told. The serums were less incapacitating, but no less excruciating. Kurotsuchi would suppress Ichigo's hollow reiatsu in an attempt to separate it. He said he was trying to remove the hollow. Considering the hollow was his Zanpakutō spirit, that had been more than a little complicated, and horribly painful. He was barely able to think. Shiro and Zan kept him company though. The feeling of being ripped apart inside and out had become so familiar that he had begun to wonder if there was any other way to feel. By the time the head captain came back, he sat on the cot in the corner of the room with his arms wrapped around his knees and rocking back and forth.

"Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

This time, he just shook his head and muttered, "No, no, no…" until he left. He knew he was losing his mind. Granted, he was already half gone. He heard Shiro and Zan all the time now. Now and then, a moment of clarity would hit him and he'd think how crazy it was to be talking to them when they were sealed, then it slipped away like water dripping from his hands. He didn't know what to think of it. The voices had been easy to ignore while he was in the tower, but they were harder and harder to ignore as he stopped being able to push them back.

[Year 8]

The third year was brutal. Kurotsuchi had decided to cut and dissect him to test the limits of his regeneration, or really, if he could regenerate at all. He grew used to the sight of his own blood cascading down his body. He had removed his fingers and limbs and reattached them or regrew them several times. He watched as his hand bled again, the fingers missing as Kurotsuchi discussed if the regeneration would take effect this time. He giggled suddenly. It was kind of pretty, the way it ran from his hand and puddled into the floor. He laughed again, and he didn't stop for a long time.

"Will you confess to the murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

Ichigo laughed at him and waved him off. He was amused by Shiro at the moment. He'd mentioned that when the blood puddled it looked like a painting. He thought it was hilarious. He turned and stared at the head captain. "I bet his blood was pretty."

[Year 9]

At the end of the fourth year, Ichigo sat on the floor in a cell staring at the ground below him. Blood was flowing steadily from his mouth and eyes and he just watched it. The burning in his veins had faded a little while ago, but it had burst veins in his throat and eyes. He'd been quite for a long time now, after he stopped screaming. Now and then a laugh would escape his lips. He leaned over and started drawing in the blood that was on the floor. He dropped onto his elbows and laid there, drawing into the blood slowly. He laughed and made designs.

 _Look, look, it's a birdy!_ Came Shiro's giggling voice in his head.

"I know," Ichigo said out loud, his voice bubbly from the blood still leaking from his throat. "Pretty…" he muttered as he moved and started drawing something else.

 _Why do you draw something like that, Ichigo?_ The other voice, Zangetsu, or Zan, the one that didn't like to have fun, said. Ichigo looked at the picture he'd drawn as it started to morph back into the puddle. It had been a stick figure being eaten by another figure. He drew another of someone violently hurting a figure.

"Why not, Zan?" he muttered again, coughing as blood sprayed everywhere over his hand. He held it up.

 _Don't think about what they've done to you,_ Zan said in his head.

"But they like to hurt us," he muttered. "They all come and hurt us."

 _I know, Ichigo, but you have to stop this. You're going insane._

"I think it's too late, Zan," Ichigo said, tilting his head to the side and then drawing a long jagged nail down his leg as blood beaded. His hair was dripping his own blood and fell down onto his chest now. His hair hadn't been cut or cleaned since the day he was shoved in the tower and now drug the floor easily.

He giggled for a long time. "It's pretty!" he shrieked as he fell forward into the bloody puddle. He sat up suddenly a second later.

"Shiro! What should we do now?" he gasped.

 _I don't know. Cut off your finger again, that was fun, huh?_ Shiro's voice answered. _I like watching them regrow it, the way it kinda oozes out and reforms…_

"Oh yeah!" he said and sat up, blood now dripping from his front down to the floor. It wasn't like he had any clothes on. He couldn't remember the last time he had clothes. It was a moot point because they got bloody so quickly. His hair fell in front of his eyes, matted and falling to the floor where it drug through the blood there.

He stared at his right hand and then put his right index finger into his mouth and started slowly chewing into the flesh and bone, giggling now and then. Finally, after a long while he spit the digit to the floor and stared as blood ran down his arm.

"Pretty," he said as he stared at it.

The head captain stood outside the cell and watched. Ichigo looked up, seeing him there and crawled over to him and put two bloody hands on the clear barrier and grinned at him.

"Will you confess to the heinous murder of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake?"

Ichigo tilted his head to the side and licked at the blood on his still bleeding hand. "I wish I had seen his blood, so pretty on the white…" he muttered and then set into a fit of giggling. The head captain turned and left again. He would return again the next year.

After the Head Captain left Kurotsuchi sighed. "I think he's completely gone in the head," Akon said beside him. "That's the fourth time he's bitten one of his fingers off in the last week. Didn't he try to claw his throat out last night?"

"Hmm, yeah," Kurotsuchi said as he watched as Ichigo rocked back and forth and laughed between muttering random things as though he was talking to someone. "He seems to have started hearing that voice more. He looks to talk to someone almost all the time. Give him the third serum," he said with a nod.

"You sure, sir?" Akon said. "Last time you had to revive him after the second one."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. I want to see if it can pull that created hollow out of him one last time before I proceed to the secondary tests."

Akon nodded, pressing a button and flooding the observation cell with a gas that knocked their subject out. He fell with a splat into the blood puddle and Akon went in, dragging him out by the arm into the lab again. He put him up on the table again, taking a moment to secure him with the restraints. He sighed and injected the third serum. Ichigo gasped and yanked hard on the restraints on before he started to thrash and scream. He turned and went over into the other area to wait for the serum to complete its work.

After a couple hours, he sighed. No luck. He injected a healing accelerator and watched as the finger started to reform that he'd bitten off and the blood staunched from his throat and eyes. Akon sighed. Every experiment yielded more confusing answers. He looked up as Kurotsuchi came back.

"Well?" he demanded.

"No luck, sir. Just seems that the hollow signature is integrated fully into the rest of his soul. I don't think we can separate them. Trying to just causes the soul to become more damaged. I don't think we can do it, and if we did, I don't think there would be anything viable left," Akon said with a sigh.

Kurotsuchi nodded. "Put him back in the observation cell. Pump in some of that gas that Rin was working on."

"The hollow pheromones?" Akon asked.

"Yes, let's see how susceptible to hollow specific drives he is…" he said as he left. "The lower hollows we've discovered have at least three different base drives. They are driven like animals to consume, to destroy, and to procreate. Let's see if we can't activate those drives in him. Since I can't separate the hollow, I might as well use this opportunity to have one in a controlled environment. Go ahead and release some of the seals on the hollow reiatsu and increase the sealing on the Shinigami powers. He acts like an animal already, no harm in treating him like one," Kurotsuchi said with grin as he left.

In the cell, Ichigo giggled again, having woken up and started ramming himself into the walls randomly, falling down and crying in pain then laughing. The blood had been cleaned up while he had been out, but he started to gnaw on his hand again, this time at the wrist. It was so pretty.

[Year 10]

Time wasn't consecutive. Time was skipping and moving and there was nothing he could do about it. He was screaming. He was sobbing. Blood, bone, pain…it mixed together and his whole being seemed to be assaulted with his very existence. Hollow screams and nightmares filled his senses, and there was no such thing as reality. It faded into and out of existence, and he wanted it to stop, all of it to stop. He couldn't, though. No matter how hard he tried. He wanted to feel again, and then when he did, all he felt was pain. He was dying each day but it never ended…

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 1]

"Sir, you might want to hear at this," Szayelaporro said as he dropped a disk with the surveillance on the table in front of him.

Aizen nodded and watched the latest reports from his Espada that had infiltrated Soul Society. Aaroniero was still inside Kurotsuchi's lab and had been particularly valuable. He had only been able to get monthly updates, sometimes with a clip of someone talking or someone doing something. This one had Kurotsuchi talking to one of his underlings and discussing ways to dispose of him. He had been with him for five years, and honestly Aizen was surprised that he had made it that long before his usefulness declining.

"I think his usefulness has reached its end for Mayuri," he commented. "Extract him," he said with a sigh. "Send Primera through Sexta, full resurrection. Let's make sure they realize what's happened. Have Grimmjow get ready to return dear Jūshirō. Remind him to put on a good show."

"Yes, Aizen-sama," Szayelaporro said with a smirk as he headed out to relay the messages. He honestly wanted to get his hands on the Shinigami as well, ten years waiting had been a lot for him.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 1]

The heavy and powerful sudden reiatsu that crashed over the Serietei was surprising to say the least. No one expected Arrancar, especially not Espada level Arrancar, to suddenly break through into Soul Society. Over two years had passed since the fight with those from Hueco Mundo, and they hadn't heard from anyone related to that fight since then. Honestly, in the twelve years since then, things had been rather quiet. No one questioned it, however. A peaceful time was a good thing. Of course, it should have made the Shinigami wonder why.

Grimmjow landed in the center of the Seireitei with the small black box in his hand, in full released form, something only some of those present had seen. He looked around to see himself surrounded by most of the Captains in less than five minutes, all with Shikai ready.

"You! How did you get here?!" Rukia said as she stepped forward. She wore a captain's white Hiyori now, apparently having taken her captain's place.

Grimmjow grinned as above him Ulquiorra, Starrk, Barragan, Nnoitra, and Hallibel appeared. All six of them were in their released forms.

"What?" Rukia said as she stared at the six Espada, most of which should be dead.

Grimmjow smirked. "Go get our package, Starrk. I'll take care of the delivery when you come back."

Starrk yawned. "Ah, yes," he muttered and disappeared in a sonido with several Shinigami on his heels.

"I asked you a question!" Rukia yelled, cold roiling off her body.

"Ice Princess, just chill the fuck out," he said with a smirk. "I'm waiting on Starrk before I give you the present I brought. I mean, you'll love it I'm sure," he said as the other Espada landed around him. No one said anything, none of the Espada even moved.

A few minutes later, after a series of explosions and much yelling, Starrk landed beside Grimmjow with a bundle wrapped in a black cloth. It was moving.

"Hurry up, he's rather hard to hold onto," Starrk said with a yawn.

Grimmjow tossed the cube into the air and there was a subtle explosion and everyone gasped as someone they didn't expect stumbled down to his knees coughing madly out of the smoke. It cleared slowly around the figure and he stood.

"Ukitake-taichou?" Rukia said as she dropped to her knees in front of him. She was shocked slightly as there seemed to be a clear barrier that had dropped around the Espada when Grimmjow dropped the box. Outside, the rest of the captains had appeared as well as most the lieutenants. Everyone stared in utterly stunned silence.

Grimmjow laughed out loud. "Damn you people are so damn stupid. Lemme see the brat, Starrk," Grimmjow said with a sigh.

"Sexta, I'm not sure you should let him out…I think he's completely mad," Starrk said as he passed the dark bundle to him. He'd had a hard enough time getting clothes onto him before he knocked the rest of the twelfth division flat. Except, Aaroniero, of course. He'd headed back by way of a different garganta that was disguised well by some os Szayelaporro devices.

"I ain't gonna let him out there, not fucking stupid. The barrier Szayelaporro gave me's up. Remember, we're supposed to put on a show?" Grimmjow said as he yanked the black cover off the top revealing that it Ichigo who was wrapped in black cloth.

"Grimmjow…" he breathed and started giggling madly. "Pretty blood?" he muttered and giggled again.

"Yeah, yeah, fucking you and the pretty blood," Grimmjow said as he bit down on his finger and held it dripping in front of Ichigo's face. His eyes locked onto the dripping blood freely and he giggled again. "He said you'd like it if I bled for you. One sure way to get you to come alone peacefully."

"Pretty! See…see…Shiro…look…pretty!" he gasped out, his head following every move Grimmjow's hand made with wide bloodshot eyes.

Ukitake was still coughing as he turned to stare at Grimmjow and Ichigo. "No," he whispered. "Oh, no…Ichigo…what did they do to you…why?"

Ichigo giggled again, tearing his arm through the black cloth easily and grabbing Grimmjow's hand suddenly. He smiled and breathed in deeply before he bit down on his finger where it was bleeding.

"Fuck!" Grimmjow yelped and backhanded him with the other hand. "Fucking hell, try to take off my damned finger, bastard," he muttered as Ichigo rolled head over heels and bashed into the clear barrier. "Go bite another one of your own off! Fuck," he muttered licking at the much larger wound now. "Mother fucker, when he said he was insane, he wasn't fucking kidding. Shit."

Starrk sighed as Ichigo struggled out of the black covering as it had wrapped all around him. "I was afraid he'd break the binding woven into it. I warned Octavo that as soon as he got the idea to move he'd break such a weak thing," he said as he yawned. "No matter," he said with a sigh. "I doubt it would matter how we transported him."

Ichigo had crawled out of the black mess and was sitting down on the ground cross legged and rocking, eyes distant from the others. He seemed to be taking in everything around him with wide, curious eyes. It was obvious to the Espada that he hadn't been outside in a very long time. He was wearing a tattered looking yukata and was barefoot. His hair was long and matted with blood and dirt, falling down almost to the middle of his back. His eyes were wide and both bruised. Where the yukata fell off his shoulder, stripes of scarring and bruising covered his skin. His legs were a pattern of red wounds and deep bruises. His wrists, ankles, and throat were all red and raw. Rukia stared at him in somewhat shock then back at Ukitake. To be honest, she'd avoided even mentioning Ichigo's name since the day he was locked away. She'd remembered something about Captain Kurotsuchi doing some research on him…

"But he…he killed you!" Rukia gasped as her eyes went to Ukitake's face on the other side of the barrier.

Ukitake walked over to Ichigo and knelt down, pulling his face up to him. His eyes wouldn't focus, seemingly moving at every angle rapidly.

"I'm so sorry, Ichigo, so sorry," he whispered.

Ichigo moved suddenly, leaping over and knocking Ukitake on his back. He crawled over him and sat across his thighs and planted his hands on Ukitake's shoulders. He looked down into Ukitake's face and giggled. Blood dripped from his mouth, both from Grimmjow's hand and where his lip had split. "You're dead," he said quietly, but loud enough that everyone in the utter silence that surrounded him could hear. "You're not here, you can't be here," he paused and looked away from him, looking around at all the captains around the outside of the barrier. His voice changed. "I didn't though, I didn't kill you, I know I didn't…they told me I did…left me alone…and I couldn't…couldn't tell the I did…to make it stop, just to make the pain stop, I tried to tell them I killed you!" he said in a more normal voice. Another giggle escaped him. "But I did! I had to kill you, they said I did so I did, right?" the higher pitched voice this time. "Stop, stop, I can't…I didn't…I wouldn't…you're not dead…you aren't!" he gasped and suddenly dropped down on top of him and clutched Ukitake to his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around his neck and Ukitake put his around Ichigo's back.

"Sorry, sorry, I love you all but I'm gonna kill you all," he said as he suddenly giggled and bit Ukitake's shoulder where it met his neck. Blood exploded out from the bite and started running down to the ground.

Ukitake didn't do anything other than sit up and hold him to his chest as he rocked him. Ichigo held onto the flesh of his shoulder, pulling back now and then as if to rip the flesh out. No one outside the barrier moved as Ukitake just held him there. It wasn't like they could get through the barrier anyway. Ichigo suddenly leaned back, letting go, and stared at the blood running down Ukitake's white Haori. Blood dripped down his chest from his mouth. He reached out and ran his finger over the wound and giggled again. Then he leaned up and licked it until it stopped bleeding profusely. Ukitake just stared at him with a look of deep sadness.

"Pretty," he whispered. "Wanna give you pretty, you gave me pretty, pretty…" he muttered and put his hand to his own lips and ripped his thumb off at the joint roughly with his teeth. He growled and held the hand up over his head, watching his own blood pour out of the wound. It ran down and splattered over his head and down onto Ukitake's lap.

"Pretty for you, pretty, pretty for the one I did and didn't kill…" he muttered. "Dripping down, pretty like the rain…glistening…dripping…sparkling…"

Ukitake put a hand up on his face. "Oh, Ichigo, I am so sorry," he whispered as suddenly Ichigo was hefted up off Ukitake's lap by a six armed Nnoitra.

"Come on, ain't got all day for this shit, let's get the crazy bastard back to Aizen-sama…" he said as he easily held onto the writhing form. "Glad he ain't got his power right now, and glad I used my resurrection, bastard's stronger than he looks. Shit, when he said he was crazy, he wasn't kidding," he added as the garganta opened. He disappeared inside with only the mad laughter following him.

Rukia stared in shock, along with everyone who stood around the area. "Don't worry, Captain Whitey here can fill you in. But you people…you do this to yer friend, can't imagine what you'd do to an enemy," Grimmjow said as he walked into the opening. Tier sighed and reached behind her and tossed Jūshirō's twin Zanpakutō at him, leaving as the others followed her.

Ukitake picked up the swords and swiped them through the barrier, shattering it. Aizen had said the barrier would only be broken by his swords. That was the intent. He looked up and around at the others, shaking his head.

"You didn't think, did you?" he whispered. "After everything Ichigo did, everything he was, you just turned on him. "I watched it all, Aizen made me watch the surveillance," he said quietly. "I didn't see what happened after Mayuri took him, though, but Aizen knew. It was always about Ichigo, from the moment he faced him on the hill. From that moment," he said softly. "He wanted him. He wanted his power to get the King's Key, to destroy us. Now, he has him, and the hogyuku. All Ichigo has to do is accept Aizen's, side with him, and he'll have everything he needs to destroy Soul Society for good."

"He won't side with him…" Rukia whispered.

Ukitake looked at her. "After ten years? After you all turned on him? Rukia, don't be naïve. I saw what happened at the mockery of a trial you held. I saw what you all said." He looked around and shook his head at all of them. "How could you? I told Sōsuke that it wouldn't work. I told him that you would give him a trial. I told him you would realize what was happening. I told him you wouldn't do exactly what you did. I was wrong, so wrong, and I can't believe that I have to say this, but Sōsuke Aizen was right," he whispered and turned, leaving them all behind him.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 1]

"Fuck!" Grimmjow yelped again as he tried to catch the flying Shinigami as he jumped over him and bounced back from the wall. "I thought you said that that shit would calm him down, not jack him up!" he yelled, grabbing Ichigo's ankle and slamming him down into the floor this time. Ichigo started laughing manically and tried to pull away but he was laughing too hard. "He's worse than he was!" Grimmjow yelled as he managed to wrangle Ichigo to standing, or at least not using everything and everyone as a springboard.

"Sorry!" Szayelaporro said with a sigh. "I don't know why it had the opposite effect…it was supposed to heal him and put him to sleep!" he muttered.

"Because he's completely out of control of himself. We have to get him at least somewhat under control so we can reverse some of the damage Kurotsuchi did…" Aizen said as he came into the cell where Ichigo was wrapped around Grimmjow's back this time, trying to bite the back of his neck while he had both hands buried in his blue hair.

Aizen reached up and yanked Ichigo off Grimmjow's back by his hair. He hit the ground and tried to fight to get loose. Aizen grabbed him by the chin and held to the back of his head, bringing him in front of him eye to eye. He started laughing at him, arms scrabbling to get Aizen's hands off his head.

"Stop." He said and to his surprise Ichigo stopped and stared at him with suddenly focused eyes. Aizen smiled and let his reiatsu pressure him, hoping that it would settle him down somewhat. "Good. You are in there and realize where you are, huh?"

Ichigo looked to be trying to focus his eyes. "You…you…have…you aren't…there…"

"Good, good, you're thinking a little. No, I'm not in the maggot's nest. I made everyone think I was. Remember my Zanpakutō, Ichigo? What it does? Perfect hypnosis," he said and pulled Ichigo toward a bed that they'd put into the cell for him.

Ichigo moved with him, slowly, eyes rolling randomly now and again. "They drove you mad, didn't they?" he said with a smile. "Your friends, huh? They turned on you so easily. It wouldn't have been hard to prove your innocence, I left enough clues, but they didn't look, did they? You knew what the clues were and you tried to tell them, didn't you?"

Ichigo's eyes clarified for a moment. "They left me alone…" he said. "All alone for so long…"

"Yeah, they did. Then they gave you to Kurotsuchi, didn't they?" he said as he sat down, pulling Ichigo to sit next to him. He kept his hands locked on his head and chin.

Ichigo's eyes went wide, the slight manic glint appearing. "So much pain…the blood…raining…it's raining…so pretty…" he whispered. "I couldn't think…Shiro is so crazy…Zan is so boring…then there I am in the middle of all this blood…" he said a smile creeping to his lips.

"Ah, shhh, stop," Aizen said and Ichigo's eyes locked on his again. "I saved you."

Ichigo looked at him. "You saved me," he repeated.

"I saved you from them. They aren't your friends, are they?" he said with a softness to his voice that Grimmjow had never heard before.

"You saved me from them." He breathed deeply and stifled a laugh. "They aren't my friends."

"Yes, that's it, Ichigo. I'm your friend, remember? So are the Espada. We're going to help you," he said slowly again. Grimmjow realized he could feel the rise in reiatsu around them. He realized that Aizen was using some sort of kido as he spoke to him.

"Yeah," he said as his breathing slowed down and his eyes began to flutter.

"Ichigo, there's more than one of you there, right?" he said slowly. "You said you, Shiro, and Zan, right?"

"Yeah," he said starting to blink a bit. "Shiro…says that he wants…to fight…Zan says that we need to rest…I don't know where I am anymore…" he said.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm going to take care of you now," Aizen said and let go of him. Ichigo teetered and stared at him. "Come here," Aizen said and Grimmjow felt the heavy reiatsu again.

Ichigo leaned forward, falling into Aizen and breathing heavily against his shoulder. "There," Aizen said, threading fingers through his long hair as much as he could with it so matted and dirty. "See, I'll fix it," he muttered.

Aizen smiled. He hadn't expected them to break the boy so thoroughly, but it would work in his advantage. It would be easier to mold him and get him to be who he wanted him to be. Of course, the extremely high level of insanity was going to be difficult to deal with in the long run. He hadn't counted on that little tidbit. Still, as Grimmjow and Szayelaporro left, he almost didn't want to get up. He shook it off, putting him down, the sleeping kido finally taking full effect. He wondered how long it would take to undo ten years of damage…it wouldn't matter how long it took, though. He had forever, after all.


	2. When They Realize the Truth

**In the Grip of Madness**

* * *

 _Inspiration music for this chapter: Monster by Skillet_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 _When They Realize the Truth_

* * *

[Year 11, Month 1]

The first thing that happened in Soul Society was utter and complete chaos. The Maggot's Nest was opened and they found that Sōsuke Aizen was not there. There was a very unfortunate Arrancar that had died at some point during the confinement. It seemed that with the cube that Grimmjow broke in the Seireitei, all illusions were shattered, and even their memories reflected the truth now. Those that had been there when Aizen was "defeated" realized what had been illusion and what had not been. They remembered clearly him escaping, and that the Arrancar that they believed dead had not been. Of course, considering that there had only one person who had actually witnessed the illusion of Ichigo's killing of Ukitake, no one was hit as hard as Rukia. The others had seen the recording, but of course the recording reflected Rukia's memory. It was not an illusion in itself. Now that Rukia knew it had been an illusion, a new extraction of her memory had been made. This one reflected the truth.

Rukia sat in the fourth staring straight ahead as Renji came running into the room with a look of shock and amazement.

"What happened? They said that Ukitake-Taichou was alive!" he said. "You watched him die, Rukia. How did this happen?"

Rukia looked up at him. "It…it was an illusion. What I saw…I see it clear as day now, Renji," she said hollowly.

Rukia had witnessed Ukitake "death" frozen in place behind the trees in terror as she watched her best friend become a monster. Renji knelt down and looked at her. A fear had started to rise in his chest slowly at her words.

"What was an illusion?" he asked.

Rukia pulled a disk that she'd had in her possession for ten years now. Every time she started to feel like Ichigo might have been innocent, she would watch the recording that had been taken of her memory that day. Kurotsuchi had used a special kido to copy the memory. Renji, of course, knew what it was. He'd watched it so many times when Rukia had come to him sobbing. She held it out and shook her head.

"This is an illusion," she whispered and sighed. She put a second down by the first. "This is the truth that Kurotsuchi just copied from my memory.

The disk flickered and they saw the koi pond. But this time, it wasn't Ichigo that walked up behind Ukitake; it was the Cuarta Espada, Ulquiorra. He used a motion that looked similar to stabbing Ukitake, but instead it wrapped a coil of kido around the captain. Ukitake arched back and Ulquiorra pulled him against his chest and waited a second before he turned and walked away with the unconscious captain, right past Rukia's position.

Renji stared in disbelief. "But…but…"

"We were so blinded by it, Renji. Aizen isn't in the Maggot's Nest, he never was. He used the perfect hypnosis on us again. We saw Ichigo. He never left the World of the Living, Renji," she said as tears started falling from her eyes. "How could he? He didn't have the ability to open a senkaimon. He couldn't open a garganta. He never left, Renji. Ukitake-taichou told me Aizen had left the clues we needed to see that he was innocent. And he did Renji, he did. Ichigo couldn't get to Soul Society alone. That was the first clue."

"We…we though he had new powers though, after the Fullbringer thing, that's…that's what we decided in the meeting…that there was irrefutable proof that he…he…" Renji stopped and looked at her.

"Then, all we had to do was realize that he hadn't left his human body. All we had to do was check the reiatsu levels, Renji. We would have known if he'd used any powers. Then, the reiatsu I felt that day, it was hollow. Ichigo's reiatsu, even when he was Vizard, it was never hollow. I should have known it couldn't be both hollow and Ichigo's at the same time. He couldn't contain his reiatsu, Renji. Ever. We had everything we needed to realize we were wrong, Renji. Everything. And we ignored it. We turned on him in one moment. The second I saw it, I never doubted it. How…how could I do that to him? After everything he did for me? After he risked everything?"

Renji felt the knot in his stomach worse now. "What…where is he? We have to fix this. We can fix, it right? It isn't like he's dead, Rukia. We can fix it." Even to his ears, though, Renji's words rang hollow.

Rukia shook her head, pulling another disk from a pocket and handing it to Renji. "I had Kurotsuchi-Taichou do the same thing for what happened today. I can't…I can't watch it again."

Renji took it and activated and watched the incident from earlier. He had been in the World of the Living at the time and hadn't seen it in person. He'd been summoned back immediately. He was nearly sick when Rukia's eyes settled on the person they'd wronged more than anyone in all three worlds. He watched to the end when Ukitake's words hit him harder than expected. How could you? He clicked it off and looked at her.

"What…what did they do to him?" he said quietly. "That…that wasn't…what did they do?"

Rukia looked at him. "We didn't care, remember? We told him we didn't care. All of us. We told him and he pleaded with us, begged us. How scared do you think he was, Renji? How hurt? All alone for so very long. We all just…just…the things we said to him, Renji, and he still, even when the five years passed, he wouldn't admit to doing something he knew he didn't do. Five years, Renji. He spent five years completely alone in that tower watching life move past him outside." Rukia's tears were heavier now. "Then when they said that Kurotsuchi had taken him to find out what had gone wrong, we didn't ask questions. He was there five years, Renji. And even then, he wouldn't admit to something he knew he didn't do. Even when his mind was so far gone he could barely tell what was real and not. We didn't ask what they were doing. We went about our lives as Kurotsuchi-taichou…as he did worse to him than anything we can fathom. And we did nothing. _We didn't care_."

Renji remembered now vividly telling Ichigo that he'd gladly kill him but he wouldn't because that was too good for him. "D-does his father know?" Renji whispered.

Rukia shook her head. "No, the captains are meeting, to decide how to proceed," she said, wiping her eyes. Renji realized that the captain's haori was on the ground beside her now. He had a feeling she wouldn't pick it up again. He could see that there was blood staining the hem.

Renji sat on the bench beside her in the fourth division and put an arm about her shoulders. "We'll fix this," he said, but he didn't believe it entirely. He'd told Ichigo there was no forgiveness for what he'd done. It turned out that it was them that there was no forgiveness for.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 1]

"I did exactly what I was told to do!" Kurotsuchi said as the other captains stared at him. "It was unanimous! You all agreed, well, except for Zaraki of course. And Ukitake wasn't present," he said, glaring at the newly returned captain. "You agreed that if he did not admit to his crime after five years, that we needed to find out why the hollowification had corrupted him. You were the one that said that Ichigo Kurosaki, as a human, couldn't perform such an act, Kuchiki. You were the one that told me it had to be the hollow controlling him without his knowledge." Kurotsuchi glared over at Kyōraku. "And you, Kyōraku, you thought five years alone would encourage him to reveal the truth if he had knowledge of it. When it didn't, you agreed with Kuchiki that we had to figure out why he had done it. You both wanted me to find out why he had done this. I did nothing but what you wanted."

Ukitake stood at the end of the room, having neither been healed nor changed. Blood still stained his haori, both his own and Ichigo's. He looked at Kurotsuchi.

"What were you trying to do that drove him completely mad?" he asked finally.

"I tried to separate the hollow, of course. I tried to remove it; I wanted it to be a viable sample, so I wanted to keep it and him alive. That was all I was required to do by the decree of the Gotei 13," he said as he glared around the room at them all. "I don't know what exactly drove him mad. He was locked up for five years alone, as well. Don't put this all on my actions! He was already losing his mind when I got hold of him."

"You're saying you did nothing else?" Ukitake said, pulling one of the recording disks and holding it up to project the cell from some time in the last five years.

"What do you think? Can he tolerate any more of the accelerant without dying?" came Kurotsuchi's voice.

Inside the cell, Ichigo was sitting in the corner rocking back and forth, eyes flickering around the room. He was breathing heavily and a stead drip of bloody saliva ran down from both sides of his mouth and he would giggle now and then.

"Sir, I don't think that is really a good idea," Akon's voice from nearby. "The last dose left him nearly bashing his head in after the effects hit fully. We had to sedate him. Twice."

"Try it again. This time, see how long it takes him to pass out. It hasn't yielded good enough results for my liking. We may have to scrap this series and try the next one," Kurotsuchi said with a sigh.

"Sir, are you sure?" Akon's voice was slightly worried. "The next series is the one that we thought might cause the fracturing."

"Proceed with the last round of this series, and then begin the next in the morning."

The image faded. "What exactly was that supposed to be?" Ukitake said quietly.

"I had to try various compounds to separate the soul fragments," he said with a sigh. "It was nothing beyond the instructions I was given. I had to try and separate the hollow from the human and Shinigami."

"You said it was impossible over a year ago, according to your own records. If that was so, why did you continue on a futile attempt to separate them?" Ukitake said finally. "So what have you done for the last year?"

Kurotsuchi looked at him, unsure how to answer that. "I…I continued trying, of course."

"You knew it was impossible. The hollow and Ichigo are one soul in the same because that hollow is his Zanpakutō and you know it. You were doing something else."

The head captain looked at him after he didn't answer. "Kurotsuchi-Taichou, I believe you will answer Ukitake-Taichou's questioning."

Kurotsuchi sighed. "I wanted to test the hollowification to see how deeply it ran. With his powers sealed, I was able to get a reading on it without fearing him turning into a transformed visage. So I tested it."

Ukitake looked at him. Unlike the others, he had actually pulled all the files from Kurotsuchi's "tests" and found out what he'd done. "You flooded him with pheromones, hormones, and pure hollow reiatsu, Kurotsuchi. What were you trying to trigger?"

"I don't know!" he growled at him. "I was experimenting! I wanted to see how hollow he'd become! The results were inconclusive, but enlightening."

Ukitake shook his head. "You activated hollow drives and let him suffer with them, unable to answer them, and unable to make them go away."

"Only three," Kurotsuchi said with a sigh. "And I let him answer all of them, after a fashion."

"Answer clearly, Kurotsuchi-Taichou," the head captain said with a booming voice.

"Consumption, destruction, and procreation," he said with a narrowed glance at Ukitake.

"What?" Byakuya said, looking at him. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Kurotsuchi smiled. "I found out that a human can consume souls with enough influence from hollow reiatsu. Don't worry, it was only other small hollows I gave him," he muttered. "I employed some of the stronger hollows to see his destructive capabilities once activated. They were quite impressive, and I only had one that I had to destroy before Kurosaki killed it."

It was Tōshirō who looked at the researcher now. "Consumption and Destruction. What about this procreation?" he said with a glance at Ukitake.

"I also wanted to examine the completely useless procreation drive the hollows have and found that they carry a need to create 'life' in a way. They have hollows that are the submissive carriers of young, betas I think is the word, and they have the hollows that are dominant and protect the submissive one and the young, alphas is the word that fits best. The young are only some of the souls each of the hollow carries. Gender is of no consequence as it is a matter of one reiatsu overpowering another. Of course, I couldn't complete that experiment because Kurosaki lacked extra souls to combine with the hollows I put with him," he muttered with a sigh. "Otherwise, I would have gotten a chance to witness hollow birthing."

"You what?" Ukitake said and stared at him. "You…tried to mate him with a hollow?"

"Of course, how else would I find out? It's impossible to encourage hollows to mate once captured, but Kurosaki could incite the drive in others once I activated his own, with a few serums, of course. There were some interesting problems, of course. His hybrid physiology presented me with the chance to alter things that are impossible to alter in pure hollows, I had more control over the effects," he said with a shrug. "Unfortunately, none of the hollows I was able to capture for the experiment yielded positive results. It was interesting, though; he tended to kill most of them with his bare hands, which was impressive in itself since Kurosaki's power was sealed for the most part. In the end, to get the process to take, he had to be sedated, otherwise he would have destroyed them all. I even had to bolster some of the hollows in strength to be able to overpower his reiatsu. Fascinating, considering I believed it to be sealed. It reacted to the mating attempts, however. But there were seven successful attempts, and five partially successful ones. The other seventeen were failures for the most part."

Ukitake shook his head and looked around the room. "Him, I understand," he said, pointing to Kurotsuchi. "I expected it from him. But the rest of you. How did you even think that it was possible for Ichigo Kurosaki to murder someone?"

"Rukia witnessed it," Kyōraku said softly, avoiding his oldest and dearest friend's gaze. He had never seen Ukitake this angry in all the time they had known each other. "The memory was recorded intact and we had no reason to doubt her for what she saw."

"I'm disgusted that you would look no further than your own eyes," he said. "Tell me! How did he get to Soul Society?" Ukitake asked and looked around. "How? Urahara or one of us have had to come and get him to cross the Dangai." When no one answered. "And tell me exactly how he managed to get into and out of Soul Society with no one sensing him? He could never contain his spiritual energy at all! He has always lacked control of that font of seemingly never ending reiatsu that he was born with." Silence met the captain again. "Then, tell me if you tested his reiatsu to see if he'd even exited his human body?" Nothing was spoken again. "The simplest of things and you would have known something was wrong!"

Ukitake turned away and took a deep breath and then turned back. "And now look what you have allowed to happen. Perhaps one of the brightest souls I've ever encountered…and look what you did to him. I will go to the World of the Living myself to inform Isshin Shiba. He should hear it from someone who regrets what has happened as much as he soon will."

Ukitake turned and left the meeting, nearly running into Rukia as she came running to him. "Taichou, are you going to the World of the Living?" she asked with still teary eyes. Ukitake stopped and nodded. "I…I need to go. I need…I need to tell them myself."

Ukitake didn't say anything, and for Rukia it was almost worse than if he had yelled and screamed at her. She lowered her head and followed him as they left. Ukitake stepped out of the gate and went to Urahara's with Rukia following behind him. He didn't pause, he didn't even waste a second along the way. He never tried to say anything to her, and she didn't expect him to. She couldn't even meet her captain's eyes. The door opened almost before Ukitake got to the step.

"Ukitake-san," Urahara said as he locked eyes with him.

Ukitake saw that Urahara knew already what must have happened. Urahara would have defended Ichigo had he been in Soul Society. Ukitake had an idea that Urahara and Shihōin had not been informed before Ichigo's conviction. After what had happened with the Vizard, Ukitake doubted that Urahara would let Soul Society harm another.

"Come in. Wait in the tea room. I'll summon the others," he said and disappeared out the door.

Urahara had known something was off when he'd been told what had happened. By the time he'd heard, though, Ichigo had been locked away, and this time, there was no getting in to get him out. His father wouldn't help, and neither would his human friends. Even the Quincy wouldn't cross the Shinigami to help him. Urahara knew that there was more to things than what everyone believed, but no one would listen to him. His words fell on deaf ears, and because Soul Society knew about Urahara's involvement before, they would stop him. He knew that Ichigo would never let the hollow take over and destroy anyone, least of all Ukitake.

Urahara had wanted to help him, but no one would listen. Isshin turned his back on his own son, and for the last ten years refused to acknowledge he even had a son any longer. His son was dead. Kon had been left in the stuffed lion's body, and he now lived in Yuzu's home as her daughter's favorite toy. Kon had come to accept this, but sometimes he turned up on Urahara's doorstep begging for a Gigai, just for a little while.

The worst part, though, was that Ichigo's human form had been cremated and interred with the excuse that he had suffered a sudden heart attack from some congenital malformation that had gone undetected. All his school friends had come to the memorial as Urahara and Shihōin had stood in the distance and watched as Isshin talked about his son. His son, that was very much still alive, after a fashion. He had no human body, however. And Urahara wasn't sure that a Gigai would ever work for him. His human side was dead, for good this time.

Tatsuki and Karin had come to him asking if it was true. Urahara said he couldn't speak on what had happened to Ichigo because he didn't know. He honestly had not known what was happening; he knew he didn't believe what he'd been told.

He dropped to the ground in front of the clinic and knocked. Isshin opened the door and stared.

"My shoten, immediately," he said and was gone without waiting for an answer. He repeated the same thing with the others. He included Karin and Tatsuki in the number he called. They deserved to know what had happened to Ichigo. They deserved to know why he was gone from their lives so suddenly.

Urahara waited sitting in the front of the store until all had gathered impatiently.

"What is happening, Kisuke?" Isshin said with a look at him. "This better not be some ridiculous attempt to convince me of…"

"It isn't my attempt," Urahara said and sighed. "Come. There's someone here you need to talk to."

When they came into the tearoom, they only saw Rukia sitting with her head bowed at first. Isshin narrowed his eyes at her. "Rukia, what is…?"

"Isshin," came a voice that shocked everyone in the room from the window. Tatsuki and Karin didn't know Ukitake very well, but they recalled hearing about him from Rukia.

"Jūshirō?" Isshin gasped as Ukitake turned and looked at those gathered, his bloody Haori shocking them even more than his sudden appearance.

Orihime moved to use her shield but Ukitake gestured and broke it. "No. I won't be healed of this. It will scar me and I will remember how badly everyone has erred and the terrible things that were done in my memory. I will bear it for the rest of my days," he said and pulled down the collar where it was easy to see a deep bite wound from humanoid teeth that still seeped blood. It almost looked like a chunk of flesh was nearly pulled away. "I'll remember what was done with no regard for what I would have wished."

It was easy to tell that all the blood didn't come from his wound. The lower half of his haori was drenched from another source. He let go of the fabric and looked out the window again.

"How are you alive?" Isshin said with eyes wide. "You…we saw you die…"

"You saw what you were meant to see, and left with every clue to the otherwise, you only believed your eyes," he said. "I'm most disappointed in you, Isshin Shiba. I had thought better of the man that would give everything up to save the Quincy Masaki Kurosaki. Yet you would fail to do anything to save her child."

Uryū glanced at him and back to Ukitake. "What…what's happened?"

"What's happened?" Ukitake said and looked them over. "You turned on the one person who wouldn't betray any of you no matter what. You betrayed him and left him with no care if he lived or died. You told him it would be better if he died."

"I don't understand?" Isshin said.

"Kyōka Suigetsu."

Isshin stared at him. "Aizen's Zanpakutō? He's in the maggot's nest. He was captured."

"No, he never was. I've spent the last ten years in Las Noches as a _guest_ while he waited until Soul Society tired of torturing Ichigo Kurosaki and planned to execute him. Then, he moved, taking Ichigo and returning me. To his incredible glee, Ichigo's mind is shattered completely. After Kurotsuchi had five years to tear him apart and break him…there isn't much left. But it is enough for Sōsuke to get to his power easily once he shows him the kindness that none of you did," Ukitake said with a deep sigh. "He plans to try and use him, and all that power that we were so afraid of, against us. The King's Key. The Soul King. He'll destroy us."

The silence behind him as he stared out the window told him all he needed to know. "Show them, Rukia."

Rukia nodded and placed the disk on the table, the true memory. They'd all seen the other one. "The perfect hypnosis is broken. This is the truth," she whispered as she let the recording of the day Ukitake "died" play.

No one said anything for a long time. They simply stare at what they had just seen and they couldn't even move.

"The other one, Rukia, from today," Ukitake said after a while to break the silence.

"I can't…I can't watch…" Rukia said as she placed the second disk down.

"The other one."

Rukia nodded and allowed it to play, her eyes drawn to what she'd been there for every torturous second of. Orihime was the first to break, dropping to her knees and sobbing loudly behind her hands. Tatsuki and Karin weren't far behind, however, they did not have the crushing amount of guilt that came with having stood face to face with him and told him he was a monster.

Chad appeared to stare impassively at first, but his eyes were damp. How could he have ever believed Ichigo could be corrupted? How could he have possibly not believed him when he pleaded with them?

Uryū dropped to his knees beside the girls and had a very hollow look on his face. "Ichigo…" he whispered and recalled his threat to put an arrow through his forehead. As he watched Ichigo completely come unraveled and scream and laugh, he believed that it would have been a great kindness to him if he had.

"No…no…my son…" Isshin said finally as tears began to fall from his eyes. "What have I done…how could I believe that he would…"

He too fell to his knees, and Karin hugged him tightly as they held to each other. Karin wanted to blame her father, in fact, she hadn't spoken it, but she did. Now, though, she was in too much pain to know that her brother had suffered for ten years for something he hadn't done.

Orihime and Tatsuki clung together, but Orihime remembered her words. _You'll get what you deserve._ "Oh my…Kurosaki-kun…" she whispered. "No…I can fix it, can't I? Can I…" she whispered, but she didn't know. She could reject wounds. His mind? She had no idea if she could heal such a thing. She felt that the answer would she could not. The wounds weren't physical.

"What…what can we do?" Tatsuki said from where she held the sobbing Orihime after the recording ended. She felt a surge of anger. "Why would you let this happen?" she said and looked around at them before she stood up suddenly. "How…how could you do this to him?"

No one had any answers for her as she stared through tears at those in the room; those that had betrayed her friend. She, at least, had only known because of Urahara. She was horrified at what the others had done.

Ukitake sighed and turned to look at them. "I'm not sure what we're to do. But we can't let Aizen keep him. He's completely mad, and I don't think there's anything left to save, so we're going to be left with few options. If he can be retrieved, he needs to be kept locked away, or he needs to be mercifully put out of his misery. There's a chance we can help him," he said, glancing at Urahara and Orihime. "I wouldn't count on it, however. Hope that we can help him, but prepare for the fact that you have all sentenced an innocent to death."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 2]

"What do you plan on doing?" Starrk said as he watched the monitor on the cell he'd placed Ichigo in.

Aizen shook his head. "I'm unsure. Octavo is working on a few things to try and repair some of the damage, but it is slow going."

He sighed and pushed an intercom button. "Grimmjow, intervene."

Grimmjow, sitting outside the cell that Ichigo was in sighed. This was the fifth time today. He opened the door to see he was sitting on the floor, this time it looked like he was trying to gnaw off one of his toes and giggling. Grimmjow sighed, closing the door, and he picked him up under his arms. He shrieked and turned and tried to claw Grimmjow's face off. "Dammit, why can't they cut your fucking fingernails!" he growled as he wrestled the struggling form down to the bed, pinning his arms on his back and sitting on his calves while he screamed random sounding words at him.

Grimmjow rubbed his forehead and sighed as he sat there until he stopped struggling as much and settled into random bouts of laughter.

"Stop, Shiro, they get mad about it…" he said finally, laughing again. "They don't like it when we have fun!"

"If by fun, you mean tearing parts of your body off, no, that's not good," Grimmjow said. This was a conversation they'd had at least three times today alone.

"But the blood is so pretty…" he breathed out heavily. "Red and dripping and beautiful…"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, ripping pieces of yourself off is not gonna work anymore. It took nearly three hours for Szayelaporro to fix your fucking thumb when we dragged your ass here. Can you not feel pain anymore or something?" he asked finally.

"Pain?" Ichigo's voice had shifted out of the strange high pitched one that usually accompanied bouts of him trying to tear off his fingers and toes or trying to dig his nails into himself.

"Yeah, pain. You feel pain, right?" Grimmjow said, relaxing his hold and standing up to let Ichigo roll over and flop on his back.

"I remember pain," he said finally. "So much…I think it broke my sanity."

"I think so, you're fucking nutty as hell," he muttered as he put a hand on Ichigo's calf. He laid there and stared at the ceiling, eyes stilling for a short time.

"Only so much, you know, before you can't think, and the world turns different colors…and it's so pretty you know, when the world changes and the whites turn black, and the things all invert…." He muttered.

Grimmjow looked at him. This was the most lucid he'd been in the month they'd been trying to get him to some sort of not crazy as fuck. Granted, Grimmjow wouldn't necessarily call the things he was saying _not_ crazy. Suddenly he looked at Grimmjow.

"I didn't do it. I know I didn't. They said I did. I didn't though."

Grimmjow nodded. "I know you didn't," he said and he saw the strangest look cross Ichigo's face.

Ichigo sat up and threw his arms around his neck and sobbed suddenly. "Thank you," he said as he clung to him. Grimmjow couldn't help it; he put his arms around him and held him there. After a few minutes, Grimmjow realized he'd passed out. He put him back down on the bed and brushed strands of his hair off his head.

After a month, most of the bruising and the worst of the physical damage had been healed. What worried Szayelaporro were the results of some of the testing for what Kurotsuchi had done. Now that he had an idea what had happened, he didn't want to tell Aizen. Grimmjow sighed and knew that Szayel had to do something. Without knowing everything, Aizen was never going to get the crazy fucker anywhere near useful. He went out and sat down outside the room again. This was incredibly fucked up; he thought to himself as he leaned back in the chair and fell asleep himself.

Aizen looked up as Szayelaporro came in and sat down, pushing a file folder over the conference table to him. "Everything's in there, Aizen-sama," he said and nodded.

Aizen opened it and looked over the results of all the tests that they'd done this month. He frowned. "What is this? He activated consumption, destruction, and procreation hollow instincts?"

"That is what I got from when Aaroniero was in the twelfth but also confirmed it with my own tests," he said with a sigh.

"So they called me unethical," Aizen muttered. "He tried to…" He blinked. "No wonder he's lost his mind," he muttered as he scanned everything. He put the file down. "Alright, well, we need to proceed forward. I'm going to start integrating him into Las Noches."

Szayelaporro looked at him surprised. "Are you sure that's a good idea? He…I mean, he's still…"

"We need to get him out of the room by himself. If I'm going to turn this into my favor, and I will, I need him to be comfortable and even happy here. I will shower him with the affection that he has lacked, and I will comfort him. He'll choose to stay with me because of it. And when he's standing beside me by choice, the hogyuku will do what I desire. It will make him my Cero Espada," Aizen said with a smile. "And unlike Yammy, his power will not be lessened in non-released form."

Aizen got up and made his way to the cell. He kicked Grimmjow's chair lightly to wake him up and he looked at him. Aizen went in and sat down beside Ichigo on the bed and pulled his face toward him.

"Ichigo, it's Sōsuke," he said softly.

Ichigo's eyes fluttered and he locked eyes with him. "Wha…was sleep…" he muttered.

"Come, it is time for you to leave this room. You aren't my prisoner, my dear," he said with a smile.

Ichigo struggled to his feet and looked at Aizen unsteadily. Aizen stood and brushed a hand over his head. "Come, you are filthy. Let's bathe you and see if we can't tame these wild locks," he said gently. Ichigo just nodded, almost entranced by Aizen's words.

Aizen took his hand, still somewhat bloody from his attempts to disembowel himself earlier in the day, and led him through the white corridors to a large bath. Grimmjow came along. For some reason, Aizen had decided to make Grimmjow one of his keepers. Ulquiorra was the other one, with Nnoitra filling in as necessary. Honestly, Aizen's intention was to integrate Ichigo's presence into the Espada so that when the time came, he joined them to fight side by side without a second thought of it. However, things were evolving in other ways, he was noticing.

Aizen took him into the large bath and smiled at Ichigo's wild stare. He reached forward and untied the dirty and tattered yukata. They'd managed to change his clothes once while he was asleep, but hadn't reacted well to anyone trying to mess with his hair or put him in a bath. For a second, he seemed to clear his head and he realized what Aizen was doing and he grabbed his hands and shook his head.

"Ichigo, you need to bathe," Aizen said and then smiled. "Here, will you go in the bath if I join you? If I show you it is safe?"

Ichigo didn't answer more than a slight giggle that crawled up his throat suddenly. He watched as Aizen removed his clothes and put them on the counter. He looked at Ichigo. "Now you?"

Ichigo just stood there, staring at the place Aizen had put his clothes, so Aizen moved and pulled off the yukata and let it fall. He put his hand on Ichigo's arm and steered him to the sunken tub. He stepped in first and Ichigo followed him, gasping when the water touched him.

"Come now," Aizen encouraged as he got him into the water.

He was about waist deep in the large tub and Aizen nodded, pleased. "There, doesn't it feel nice?"

Ichigo nodded and looked around franticly, hands going to his chest and twisting together. Aizen picked up the soap and started in on him. Ichigo just stood blankly for most the washing of his chest and arms. Aizen picked up a cup and poured the warm water over him and smirked. He almost purred at the attention, it seemed. Aizen put a hand on his forehead and one under his back as he tipped him back to wet his hair. Ichigo surprisingly went with it easily and let Aizen move him to the side to sit on one of the submerged seats. He went to work on the matted mess of Ichigo's hair. He grimaced despite himself at the state it was in. After nearly two hours, Aizen had finally gotten his hair tamed. Now, without the matting, it fell down his back well past his waist. Aizen contemplated cutting it but then thought, no. That was the old version of Ichigo. He needed this version of Ichigo to be different than the one Soul Society had tortured.

"Now, doesn't that feel better?" Aizen said as he looked down into his eyes. They were hooded and he looked almost blissed out.

"I like the warmth," Ichigo said and his hands began moving under the surface of the water slowly. "It's pretty, pretty," he whispered as he picked up his hand and watched the sparkling water drip from his hand. "Pretty drops…" he said as he repeated the action.

Aizen had an idea. He moved in front of Ichigo and put both hands on his shoulders. "Ichigo, if you are able to stop making yourself bleed, I'll bring you into here anytime you want."

Ichigo looked at him for a long moment. "I like this place. Pretty…like blood…"

"Yes, and I will come here anytime you wish with you. But only if you stop cutting your skin and biting at your hands and feet."

Ichigo nodded. "Okay, I like it here," he said and smiled for a long moment. "I'll try."

"Why do you try to take off your fingers and toes, Ichigo? Why do you try to hurt yourself?" Aizen asked, moving his hands from Ichigo's shoulders to rest on the outside of his arms.

He looked at him. "We're bored sometimes, and if I tear myself, someone comes to fix it," he whispered and looked at Aizen with clarity to his eyes for a moment. "I'm so alone," he said quietly.

Aizen sighed and nodded. He moved forward and pulled him to his chest. "You aren't alone, Ichigo. I'll make sure you're never alone again. I told you I'll take care of you and try to fix this," he said and for some reason, the words that were meant to make Ichigo become pliant made his heart ache a little.

Aizen got him out of the sunken tub, dried him off, and dressed him in a nice, clean and white yukata. He still looked gaunt and starved, but he imagined they hadn't done much for the soul hunger, and he supposed that having his power sealed meant hunger hadn't bothered him too often. Aizen could sense that his power was still sealed, but it was sealed from within, not something Kurotsuchi had done. It seemed that the hollow White knew he had to protect Ichigo from destroying himself with his own power. He led Ichigo to a larger room with a lofty bed covered with pillows and blankets.

"Come, you'll stay with me," Aizen said and pulled Ichigo into the bed. Ichigo looked curious but soon had buried himself in the soft covers and pillows. Aizen smirked and slid in himself, covering up and sighing. Before long he felt Ichigo move toward him, wrapping arms and legs around him desperately in an attempt to gain contact with someone. He smiled. Things were going just as he had hoped.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 6, Day 1]

"The teams will breech Hueco Mundo at the designated points. We'll be leaving two captains in Karakura Town along with the Vizard and Kisuke Urahara," Kyōraku said as he looked over the gathered people. "This is an extraction. Engage and capture, even if they are an Espada, do not kill them. We need information more than anything. If you engage with Kurosaki, attempt to subdue but do not put yourself in danger. Retreat and report his location. We are unsure his current state and capabilities. Any questions?" he asked as he looked around at those gathered.

Kenpachi stood ready with most of the eleventh division. Beside him, Byakuya stood with several from sixth. Shūhei stood with a good contingent from the fifth. Kira stood with a large group from the third. Ukitake chose to stay in Soul Society, working on a project of his own to try and help Ichigo when they returned with him. Kurotsuchi was also busy with constructing a cell that could hold him but would be accessible to those that were going to try and work with him. Toshiro and Matsumoto had a large group from the tenth, and Unohana had a very large group from the fourth. Soi Fon had gone to Karakura Town with Sajin and Iba. Ōmaeda had joined up with the group from the eleventh along with a couple other second division Shinigami.

"Good. Renji, you and Rukia will head the team with the humans," he said with a nod toward the two of them as they stood with Orihime, Uryū, and Chad. "Remember, you may be the best or the worst person to encounter Ichigo. You will either be in a position to talk him into leaving, or he will simply attack you on sight. Don't count on anything you think you know. He has been with Aizen for nearly six months as we prepared this incursion. We do not know for sure the state that he's in."

There was consensus and everyone was off on their designated assignment. The infiltration into Hueco Mundo was very similar to the first time, however, this time they knew what to expect. There were no surprises as they made the approach. The skirmishes weren't unexpected. After much time passed, Rukia and Renji led their team to the walls first. They looked around and found it deserted.

"Did we come to the wrong place?" Renji asked.

The Getsuga Tenshou that threw all five of them back surprised them. They heard laugher, high pitched and eerily similar to what they'd heard before. There was a loud sound and Ichigo was standing on top of the wall, Zangetsu slung over his shoulder and looking down at them. They couldn't see much except the white uniform and the crop of orange on top of his head. The sword was already in Bankai, Rukia and Renji knew immediately.

"There are pests at the wall!" he yelled and crouched down on the wall. A sonido sounded and beside him Grimmjow and Nnoitra appeared.

"Well, Ichi-baby, aren't you right about that?" Nnoitra said as he stood with both hands on his hips. "Grimmjow, you owe me. I said they'd show up in less than six months."

"Dammit," Grimmjow growled. "Tomorrow made six months, too. You assholes couldn't have waited one more day before you showed up?" he yelled down at them. "Dammit."

Ichigo giggled and then swung his sword behind him, slamming it into Nnoitra's leg.

"Goddammit, you crazy fucker!" Nnoitra said with a growl, thunking his hand on the back of Ichigo's head hard enough that he almost fell off the wall. "You fucking cut me, goddamn."

Nnoitra kicked slightly as blood dripped down his leg. Ichigo smiled and looked up. "Pretty!"

Grimmjow snickered. "At least he's after your fucking blood this time! I still got fucking scars for the last time he thought my blood was pretty!"

Nnoitra snorted. "Why you gotta cut through my hierro? Huh, baby? No one else can!"

Ichigo smiled and stood up, this time slashing Nnoitra's arm and watching him bleed. He leaned over and licked Nnoitra's arm where the blood was beading.

Nnoitra growled and shoved him off the wall out into the sand. The others watched as he simply fell; he didn't stop himself. "Fuck!" Nnoitra said, holding his arm. "Fucking hell, that is so fucking annoying!"

Grimmjow laughed out loud. He leaned over. "You okay down there, Cero?"

Manic laughter came from where the sand had puffed up around him. "I'm bleeding…it's pretty…"

"Ichigo, you're supposed to be killing the people over there, remember?" another voice said, and the group looked to see Aizen was standing between Grimmjow and Nnoitra now with his arms crossed over his chest. "You remember what I said you could do if you killed them?"

"Oh!" came Ichigo's voice and a second later he was standing in front of them. "You! I have to kill you!"

Everyone stared for a minute at him. His hair fell in a long braid that started on the crown of his head and ended below his waist. There was a cloth or wrapping or something threaded through his hair, though, but they couldn't see exactly what it was. Zangetsu looked the same as they remembered it Bankai, and obviously, Ichigo moved with the speed of his Bankai. From the end of Zangetsu, though, there was a chain that coiled up his arm and attached to a metal collar at his throat. He tilted his head to the side and grinned at them. There was a circle or some kind of marking in black on his throat right above the metal collar that went up under his chin. His black markings from his Shinigami form nearly touched around him now. He wore a white uniform like the rest of those in Las Noches, though. It was a long coat that was nearly identical to his Bankai coat but it had no sleeves and was edged in red all the way around. He wore a pair of loose white hakama, but they were edged in red as well. There was a deep cut on his forehead that was dripping blood freely but he didn't seem to mind it.

Rukia exchanged a glance with Renji. "Ichigo!" she said. "It's me, Rukia, your friend!"

Ichigo frowned and looked at her. "Yeah, yeah, I remember," he said with a strange flat tone. Then he giggled for a second and a mask started covering his face. "But I'm gonna kill ya now," he said as his eyes shifted into black and gold. "Cuz I wanna see you bleed into the sand. It's so pretty, and Master says that if I get you to bleed I can stay down here and play with it until I'm tired out, then I can go to the bath again for a long time! Master loves me," he said with a smirk as he flew into a spin and engaged both Rukia and Renji at the same time.

"Ichigo!" Orihime said as she dodged another wild swing. "Stop this!"

Chad stepped in front of her with Uryū. Chad had called up his Fullbring but wasn't sure exactly what he should do. Uryū knew he couldn't shoot him, he was there to take care of any hollows or Arrancar that tried to intervene when they captured Ichigo.

Ichigo stopped, Zangetsu crossed over behind his back blocking Zabimaru, and his other hand bleeding as he held onto the blade of Rukia's sword with ease.

"But…this is what I deserve!" he said and started laughing as he swung down and backward. He pushed up and flipped over, landing for a second on Renji's shoulder. He then leaped off and nearly impaled Uryū as he landed, Zangetsu sliding into the sand to the hilt.

He yanked but it was stuck. "Aww…" he muttered but was up and diving under an expanding Zabimaru. The chain on his arm uncoiled as he spun and then he was using it to pull Zangetsu free. He bounced off the flat of Rukia's blade and was back up in a moment. His white uniform was liberally splattered with blood now. He was still laughing as he managed to cut and slash at everyone a few times before he was pinned between Rukia and Renji. He laughed out loud because he was blocking Zabimaru with Zangetsu in front of him, but he was using his arm to block Rukia. Blood was running down from the gash that was bone deep in his forearm from her sword sliding through the skin. He grinned at her as he tipped his head over backward to look at her.

"What…what is this…" she said as she locked eyes with him.

Ichigo giggled and dropped Zangetsu suddenly, causing Zabimaru to slide straight through his shoulder and right into Rukia's sword arm. He laughed as blood flew from the wound and he dropped the sword. Because of the chain, though, the sword just dangled beside his arm.

"Ooops," he said as his right arm went dead. "Musta cut the workings again! Octavo's gonna have a fit about it! He just reattached that arm yesterday!" he said and smiled at Renji who was staring horrified as he retracted Zabimaru from Rukia's shoulder.

"Okay, enough," came a voice and they looked up to see Aizen was standing down where Ichigo had been a moment ago.

"I'm having fun!" he screamed and started to leap again.

"Enough!" Aizen said and Ichigo gasped and looked at him. He ducked under the others and flash stepped back to Aizen, using his left arm to put Zangetsu on his back. He stopped and knelt down at Aizen's feet, blood starting to pool around him from the wounds he'd acquired. "Look! So pretty!"

Aizen reached down and ran a hand over Ichigo's head. He'd braided his hair down his back and it was a little mussed now. "Yes, my dear, so pretty. I'm sure you're happy you got to play some. You've been wanting a good play session for a while with someone you don't have to hold back on."

Ichigo looked up at him and nuzzled into his hand and sighed. "It was fun; can I go back?"

"Not yet, my dear. Not yet. Remember, we're playing a long game, and we can't just show all our moves just yet," Aizen said as Ichigo continued to smile and stare at the others.

"What did you do to him?" Rukia screamed.

"Me? I fixed what you did. He's much better now. Still mad, but at least he isn't trying to rip his own body parts off any longer," Aizen said as Ichigo arched into his hand, nearly purring. He glared under hooded eyes at them as he turned and licked at Aizen's palm. "Or attempting to disembowel himself, or any number of things he did when I first started trying to fix what Kurotsuchi did to him."

He reached down and gathered Ichigo up into his arms and disappeared over the wall to Las Noches, leaving the five of them staring at what they'd seen.


	3. When They Are Alone

Song Inspiration: I'm So Sorry – Imagine Dragons

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 _When They Are Alone_

* * *

[Year 11, Month 2]

At first, Aizen wasn't sure how to handle Ichigo. After he'd let him out into Las Noches, there were a string of incidents that left him wondering if he was ever going to fix the boy. He almost wanted to cut his losses and cut his throat several times. The third time he found him sitting in the middle of a hallway, one of the lower ranking Arrancar completely dismembered around him, and drawing pictures in the blood, he figured he needed to come up with a plan.

"Fucking hells, I thought Nnoitra was a sadistic fucker," Grimmjow muttered as he leaned against the wall just out of the range of the massive splattering of blood on the walls and floor.

Aizen stood beside him with his arms crossed. "What exactly did he do to…him…her…I can't tell what Arrancar it was…"

Grimmjow shrugged. "No idea what the fuck happened. I think it was that one with the full mask you brought out last week. Fuck, I dunno. He was walking this way and we were going that way and Ichigo just screeched and flew at him. I didn't even see what killed him, just there was blood and guts and I think his head went down the hall where that blood trail goes…" he muttered. "Crazy mother fucker doesn't even have claws or a sword, he just fucking ripped him apart with his bare hands…"

Aizen sighed. "Ichigo?" he called.

"What?" he answered. He was laying in the middle of the largest pool of blood on his stomach, legs kicking randomly like a child coloring. He was drawing designs in the blood and then giggling and talking to himself. "Look…look…I like that…we should do it next time…" he muttered. "Shut up, I'll do what we want," he said and slapped his hand into the blood, splattering it all over the place.

Grimmjow groaned, kicking some that had splatted over his hakama. "Fuck, I'm gonna start wearing black if I have to play nursemaid much longer. I'm more red than white most the time."

Aizen walked over and knelt down in the blood. He grabbed Ichigo's chin and tilted his head up. "My dear, why did you kill this one?" So far, when asked, Ichigo hadn't been able to tell him why he killed the other two.

"He wanted me," he said with a wide eyed stare. "But he can't have me."

Aizen tilted his head. "How do you know this?"

"I smelled it…" he said with a look on his face somewhat like fright, but then a smile split his face. "But I stopped it before he got to me. Nope, not going to let them do that. I'm not going to!" he screamed the last, body clenching and teeth grinding. "No, no!"

Aizen frowned. "Come, let's go talk to Octavo. I have an idea what might be happening…" he muttered and stood.

"I dun wanna," he muttered and put his head down on his arm, his braid falling into a pile of the gore. "I wanna stay here."

"Now."

Ichigo looked up and locked eyes with him. He slowly got to his feet, dripping blood from almost everywhere. Aizen was going to have to put him in a different color if this continued. He supposed the white splattered with blood was terrifying for his soon to be Cero. He reached for his hand and Ichigo took it, head dropping immediately. Aizen had no confirmation on why Ichigo seemed to do what he said, but he had an idea about that as well. He led him through the halls, getting more than one surprised look as they passed. Not everyone was used to Ichigo yet, especially not some of the newer and younger Arrancar. He knocked on the door to Szayelaporro's lab and went in.

Szayel looked up. Aizen pushed Ichigo toward the table. "On the bed."

Ichigo crawled up onto it and laid down, trying not to giggle as he began playing with his bloody hands.

"Ah, is he injured?" Szayelaporro asked as he approached.

"No, he's not this time, it's blood from an Arrancar he dismembered. Again. But he said something this time, about the Arrancar wanting him. He said he could smell it," Aizen said as he crossed his arms.

"Smell it?" Szayelaporro said, looking over at him. "Didn't you say that the crazy Taichou tried activating hollow drives?"

"Novena wasn't sure exactly what he'd done, but something about using gases that sent him into a frenzy a few times. But he wasn't able to get into the experiment chamber. The Shinigami he was masquerading as was a lower ranking member of the twelfth he'd consumed," Aizen said with a sigh. "He couldn't get any closer without risking detection. They would have noticed if he'd taken a new form and the other one just disappeared."

Szayel moved around and pushed Ichigo's hands down so he could snap the restraints on him. He just stared at him for a long moment. "Ichigo, I'm going to lock you in, okay? So you don't hurt me."

"Okay," he said and grinned. "I like you so I dun wanna kill ya."

Szayel smiled and giggled himself. Aizen rolled his eyes. "You need to stay sane, I know you're enjoying having someone around more insane than you are."

"Sorry, Aizen-sama," Szayel said and sighed. "You did make me the Espada of Madness…"

"And that's why you can figure out how to help him be less…unpredictable. I don't mind the insanity, obviously, but if I can't get him under control of some sort, I can't do anything with him. He hasn't even gotten to the point of manifesting his Zanpakutō yet. I can't imagine what damage he could do with his weapon," he said with a sigh.

Szayel nodded and looked down. "Um, damn, that's a lot of blood. Was there any left in the body?" he muttered.

"Not much," Aizen said with a sigh. "I don't really care that he kills some of the lower ranking, useless ones, but I'm worried that he'll escalate to going after the ones I actually want to keep around. Some of them are useful."

"Okay, Ichigo, I want you to tell me if you smell anything, okay?" Szayel said as he pulled down a thing that looked like a shower head only a lot smaller. He pushed a button and Aizen saw a puff of smoke or gas come out of the end of it.

Ichigo immediately reacted, trying to tear his arms out of the restraints to get to the source of the smell. "No! No! We said no!" he screamed and very nearly got his hands out of the restraints. That was an impressive feat in itself, since the restraints had been crafted with Ichigo in mind.

Szayel pulled it back and Ichigo panted for a moment before his eyes fluttered and he looked like he was falling asleep. Szayelaporro glanced up at Aizen. "Yeah, you need to keep him away from any Arrancar that are seeking a mate. He's probably going to tear them apart if he smells it on them."

"Smells 'it'?" Aizen asked. "What exactly was that?"

"Well, I hypothesized that the Shinigami researcher wanted to use Ichigo to understand hollows and Arrancar better. So he activated the drives. What I did was a puffed a concentrated dose of the pheromone that hollow alphas release. Only a hollow beta can detect it. I think what's happened is that Kurotsuchi manipulated Ichigo's chemistry to bring him in line with a beta. Usually, Arrancar don't fall into that nonsense, but this is actually genius," he said with a smile.

"Enough hero worship, what did he do?" Aizen said with a deep and long suffering sigh.

"Sorry, but it is genius. He closed off all of Ichigo's powers except the hollow part of him, like blocked access to everything else. Then he forced the pheromones and reiatsu of a beta adjunca hollow into White. Because White was created, of course, he's not your average hollow. He's a hollow in the form of a Zanpakutō spirit. But what Kurotsuchi did was force White's hollow instincts to the surface. That's part of why Ichigo's mind broke. He nearly became an animal in a literal sense," he said as he looked over the readings.

Aizen nodded. "Do you think he actually tried to put hollows with him?" he asked, looking down at him. He had suspected it, of course, by looking at the records. But they had no confirmation.

"I know he did," Szayel said with a sigh. "There's traces of foreign hollow reiatsu signatures throughout his reiatsu. Some are fainter than others, so obviously, the infusion took place earlier. But no, he tried to actually mate hollows with him…that's why he reacts to the alphas who are exuding the pheromone. Only the lower ranking Arrancar would have this trait still, the more powerful ones that are Espada level or close to it, won't have this drive anymore. However, there is no way Kurotsuchi managed to find hollows anywhere near Ichigo's power level, so I'm not sure how he managed this…"

Aizen sighed. "That's…horrible." Aizen couldn't think of anything else, and he had no idea why it bothered him. It wasn't like it was unexpected. Of course he would have tried it. As a scientist, he'd have to take every chance to explore a subject like Ichigo and what he was. Still, Aizen couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't like it. He sighed and looked at Szayel.

"What about the other drives? Are they going to cause problems?" he asked.

"Destruction, well, you've seen that pretty well, that drive is just one of the basic ones he operates on. If he doesn't like it, he destroys it. If he's scared of it, he destroys it. If he is bored and sees it, he destroys it. Consuming…I'm not sure how far that drive can successfully be pushed. I'm sure he's consumed some lesser hollows. I've found very weak reiatsu signatures, not like the stronger ones, but these are more like he consumed them. Of course, he's not entirely hollow, so it doesn't work the same way, and instead of the hollow soul becoming integrated into his being, it simply dissipates. Ironically, it cleanses the soul like Zanpakutō would."

Aizen nodded again. "Alright. One last thing. I seem to be able to command him when no one else can. Thoughts?"

Szayel looked at him. "You said you tried to use your reiatsu to subdue him at first, right? Simply letting it pressure him."

"Yes, it was the only way to calm him when we first brought him here," Aizen said with a nod.

"I think he equates you with calm now. You may have done it to subdue him, but because he's so far out of control, anything that forces him under control feels good to him. So that's why, I would guess, but I can't be sure," he said with a sigh.

Aizen nodded and moved over to unhook him from the bed. He muttered but didn't wake as he picked him up and headed to the bath with him once again. He didn't wake the entire time, and Aizen guessed that exposing him to the concentrated pheromone had exhausted him. He put him into a yukata and took him to his room again, dropping him into the large bed. He turned in his sleep and grabbed one of the pillows and clutched it to him. Aizen was about to leave and summon Grimmjow to watch him, but he stopped and sat down beside him. He frowned and reached out and ran his hand over his head as he muttered in his sleep. Why was he caring about what had happened to him? Why did it matter to him?

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 3]

Ichigo began to retain more of his faculties very slowly. The more he was around others, the more he seemed able to stay sane for longer periods of time. Aizen believed it had to be because of the solitary confinement. So, he decided that he needed to stay with one of the others at all times. Since Ichigo's presence was somewhat draining, he decided that rotating care of him among the Espada would help the matter.

"But why do I have to deal with him?" Nnoitra growled as Aizen glared at him.

"Because Sexta needs to perform other duties for me. So you will handle watching him for today," Aizen said and turned and left.

Nnoitra looked at him and sighed. Ichigo just looked at him for a long moment before he dropped to the floor and started picking at the hem of his hakama and started muttering to himself. Tesla came up and looked at him.

"Um, Nnoitra-sama…what are we supposed to do with him?" he asked with a deep frown.

"Make sure he doesn't kill anyone, or himself," Nnoitra muttered and shook his head. "He's fucking nuts, no idea why Aizen doesn't just cut his losses and fucking kill him."

"I asked them to…" Ichigo muttered as he began playing idly with the end of his braid.

"Huh?" Nnoitra said as he knelt down in front of him.

Ichigo looked up. "Kill me. I said. And I tried. They wouldn't let me die."

"The Shinigami?" Nnoitra asked. He moved closer and tilted his head to the side, eye watching every move the boy made.

"Took my powers, closed 'em up, and then just let me sit and die inside and not out…" he said with a sigh. "Begged and begged, please take me home, please…please…just wanna go home, please," he said as he started to sway where he sat. "No one cares, no one…" He looked at Nnoitra suddenly with wide eyes. "I went mad."

Nnoitra snorted. "That's an understatement. Yer probably crazier than fucking Szayelaporro."

Ichigo nodded with a very sad and serious look. "Yeah," he whispered and poked at his head with both index fingers. "I know it, though, I know it…" he said emphatically. "I see, they don't think I do, but I do…I knew…I knew I was going mad…couldn't stop it…then the pain turned it all inside out."

Nnoitra frowned and sat down beside him. Tesla arched a brow but stood behind him and watched. "Did they even let ya fight for it?" Nnoitra said finally.

"No, no," he said and put his hands around his neck. "Heavy around me, all around, nope, nope, stay still, don't move you're a good subject, experimental subject, just shut up, here, this stops you from fighting. Oh, stop screaming…"

Nnoitra realized that he was actually choking himself as his eyes started to flutter. "Hey, stop that!" he said and grabbed his wrists. Ichigo blinked at him.

"Why…why…nothing left in here," he said sadly. "I just want to go home. But I'm dead."

"What's that mean?" Nnoitra asked as he let his wrists go.

"They burned my body," he said as he looked around as though his eyes were following something. "Put it by my mom. She woulda helped me…she wouldn't have let them take me away…"

Ichigo couldn't help it, thinking of his mother triggered his hand going to his mouth. Nnoitra frowned then realized he was trying to gnaw off one of his fingers again. "Oh, no, don't you do that again, Aizen-sama is going to get pissed off at me if I let you do that…"

He snatched his hand back just as it started to bleed. Ichigo stared at the blood dripping on the floor and smiled as he watched it. "Raining," he whispered. "So much rain…when I'm sad, it rains…"

"That's not rain, dumbass, that's blood," Nnoitra said with a sigh.

Ichigo looked at him with a grin. "But it's all I have…falling like rain…glistening…sparkling…wash it all away…wash it away like it never happened…break it. Break it, I said!" he screamed suddenly and stared at Nnoitra with wide eyes. "Why won't you break it?"

"Break what?" Nnoitra asked, not letting go of his hand.

"My soul…" he said. "Break it, break it, pull it out…take him away…but you can't…it can't go, has to stay," he said as he reached out with his other hand and started smearing the blood over the floor.

Suddenly Ichigo slapped the floor hard and turned around away from it. "Weak, weak, can't even kill yourself," he muttered.

Nnoitra frowned and moved around to the other side. "What's that mean?"

"Don't you see?" he practically screamed. "Weak! Can't fight…can't…fight it…so…"

"You don't like not being able to fight, huh?" Nnoitra said finally, realization starting to dawn on him why Ichigo was so upset around him. "You remember fighting me, don't you? And they wouldn't let you fight what was happening. It's why you try to fight it now. Can't stand not being able to do what you know you have to do…"

"No!" he screamed and jumped to his feet. "I don't! I want…want…" he suddenly turned and stared at Nnoitra and sniffed the air. "Sleep," he muttered and crumbled to the floor in a dead faint.

Nnoitra frowned and got up and found that he was indeed asleep. He knelt down and picked him up. Tesla looked at Nnoitra curiously as he took him to his rooms and put him into the bed he slept in and sat down beside him, watching him for a long time. Tesla though it odd. Nnoitra seemed off, quite a bit, now.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Aizen hummed to himself as he sat at the conference table during what was supposed to be an Espada meeting. The problem was Ichigo was having none of it today. He sighed as Ichigo once more decided that sitting in the middle of the table was much more fun than sitting in his assigned seat.

"Ichigo. Why are you in the center of my conference table?" Aizen asked calmly.

"Shiro said to do it!" he explained as he rocked back and forth a few times. Aizen heard a couple of the Espada snicker. "He said it was fun! But I don't know. I'm bored already," he said and got up on his hands and knees. He crawled down the table to sit at the end right in front of Aizen. "I'm bored. We're bored!" he announced, kicking his legs back and forth on either side of Aizen's.

"Ichigo, we're in a meeting. Remember? The people from Soul Society are going to try and take you back," he said with a serious look.

Ichigo froze, eyes going wide and he shook his head. "Don't want to go there again!" he gasped and slid off the table to the floor. He wrapped his arms around Aizen's calves and clutched him tightly. "I don't want to!"

Aizen reached down and rubbed his head. "I know, my dear. Please, just sit there while we work on this, can you do that?" he asked.

Ichigo didn't answer he just nodded furiously against Aizen's leg. He could feel the intensity of his heartbeat against his leg. Aizen looked up at the others. Primera, and Segunda's fraccion, Estrella."

"Where is Segunda?" he asked with a sigh.

Estrella, one of the more recent Arrancar that Aizen had created, sat in the place of the Second Espada's seat. She had short dark hair and darker skin. Her mask fragment sat on the left of her face, a piece that resembled an octopus's siphon. She looked at Aizen.

"I'm sorry, Aizen-sama, Jatya-sama is indisposed and requested that I attend in his place," she said with a nod of her head.

"What good is a new fucking Segunda if he never fucking shows up and sends Octopussy over there instead?" Nnoitra said with a side glance at her.

Estrella bit her lip and glared at him. She said nothing to him though. To be honest, she would have gladly disemboweled him. Her hand clenched the short sword at her waist and then she looked back to Aizen who shook his head slightly as he continued to pet Ichigo's hair beside him.

"Now, as I was saying, what are the reports from inside?" he said, ignoring Nnoitra and Estrella's constant belittling of each other.

"Not much is new, it seems they're still trying to organize. We expected it to take them a while to get such a major operation together," Tier said from her position. "They seem to be focused on retrieving the boy."

Aizen sighed. "Considering what they did to him already, I am certain they aren't coming for him to help him. How likely is it that they are going simply destroy him?"

Szayel looked at him. "Um, at least seventy percent chance. I don't see them even trying to fix most of what Kurotsuchi did. I'm becoming more concerned with what he did to try and separate White from him. I think that whatever it was is the reason he can't manifest his Zanpakutō right now. It's like his whole soul is fractured into pieces, and unless we can mesh them together, he can't access all his powers. Of course, there's also the issue of the foreign reiatsu. I'm afraid it may be causing some sort of interference as well."

"Novena, didn't you say that they were attempting to fracture him so they could remove White?" he asked.

"Yes. That was what I was told," he said and looked around, his current visage still that of the blond Shinigami he'd been playing in the twelfth division. "I didn't get much more before the extraction occurred."

Aizen thought for a long moment then reached down and hefted Ichigo onto his lap. He was somewhat surprised at first but then just grinned at Aizen.

"Ichigo. Can you feel your Zanpakutō?" he asked.

Ichigo tilted his head to the side. "Zan talks to me."

"Not that Zan, Ichigo. The sword. The spirit you talk to in your inner world," he said with a soft sigh.

"Oh, in there, they're drowning, you know, both of them," he said and looked away at something no one else saw.

"They? What do you mean they're drowning?" Aizen asked, trying to keep him focused.

Ichigo looked at him and giggled for a long moment. "Rain, rain, falling down, rain, rain, look at my frown," he sang and pushed his fingers into his cheeks to force his face into a frown. "Shiro and Zangetsu, sitting on a pole, and…they're under water in there! Don't fall in, don't fall, the water burns…burns like fire now…gonna eat them up," he muttered, swaying slightly on Aizen's lap.

"Shiro and Zangetsu?" Aizen asked. "Shiro is the voice you hear, right?"

"No, not that Shiro!" Ichigo said with a frown. "The _real_ Shiro. Not the one I made up to talk to when I was going crazy," he said seriously. "The one in my inner world, Shiro, and then the old man. There's two in there, you know," he said and then looked away, eyes flickering rapidly between spaces around the room.

Aizen frowned and then smiled. "I understand now. There's two entities in his inner world, that's why he hears two voices now. Szayel, can you run tests on him for Quincy powers?"

Szayel stared at Aizen with a surprised glance. "Quincy powers?"

"Hmm, yes, I hadn't thought it possible. But his mother, Masaki Kurosaki, the one that was infected with White, she was a Quincy. He may have inherited her bloodline as well…" he muttered as he watched Ichigo try to catch something that was flying around his face. Of course, there wasn't anything there that Aizen could see.

Szayelaporro nodded. "Ichigo, will you come to the lab?"

He looked up and nodded. "We're bored. Do you have any sweets this time?" he asked as Szayel took his hand.

Szayel sighed and led him out of the conference room. This had become one of the simplest ways to get Ichigo to do what he asked. He found that he loved candies and chocolates. "Yes, I'll have some brought up, but only if you do what I say, okay?" he said as they walked through the halls.

Szayel thought it odd, being around someone that had less sanity than he did. It was almost like he could focus when Ichigo was around, but he didn't know why. It was the strangest thing. Ichigo was giggling as they walked down the hall until an Arrancar walked past him. He stopped and stared at him with wide eyes. Szayel turned and managed to hold onto his hand as he tried to bolt suddenly. Unlike before when he'd simply ripped apart the other Arrancar, Szayel could tell he was panicking.

"Whoa!" he gasped, gripping his hand as he went to grab him with the other. "Ichigo! Stop!" he said as Ichigo tried to escape his grip.

"No! No…no…he's in there…locked in…can't stop it…stop it…leave me...alone…" he screamed and wrestled his hands away from him and was gone in a flash step.

"Oh…not good," he muttered as he took off as fast as he could back to the conference room.

Aizen looked up as Szayel appeared and frowned. "What is it?"

"He's got a Shunpo," he said. "I don't know where he's gone. An Arrancar I didn't know walked by, and he just panicked, not like when he's gone after the alphas, this was different."

Aizen got up and looked over at the others. "Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Nnoitra. Go find him. Bring him to me when you do," he said as he got up and headed to the lab with Szayel.

The three Espada all took off. Ichigo getting enough power back to use a Shunpo was a problem. That was going to make keeping track of him a whole lot harder.

Grimmjow grumbled as he stopped at various places around Las Noches. Where the hell would the crazy fucker go? He crouched on one of the inner walls and looked around. Something that scared him. Grimmjow wasn't sure what that could be, the little bastard ripped his own fingers off at the slightest provocation. He frowned. Unless… He took off to where Novena was doing something that Grimmjow didn't care about in the least.

"Hey, Novena," he said as he landed near him. Novena was in his natural state now, the long thin mask covering his head. "What happened to the hollows that crazy Shinigami researcher used?"

He looked at him. "Oh, I was supposed to destroy them. I just set them loose in Soul Society, since I figured it would cause some chaos."

"Even the ones he used in the alpha/beta tests?" he asked, frowning.

Aaroniero shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, there were several adjunca that he'd used. There were a lot more that got purified. I was supposed to purify the ones that lived…well…I guess the ones from the alpha/beta testing would have been the only ones to survive. Ichigo killed the rest of them."

"Any chance of them got back to Hueco Mundo?" he asked, thinking he had only seen Ichigo's reactions fearful in one or two occasions, and usually they had to do with whatever the crazy fucking Shinigami had done.

Aaroniero seemed to think. "Possible, when we were coming through the gates that Aizen-sama had left open. I mean, there were only twelve or so that I let loose."

"Would they be Arrancar?" Grimmjow said with a frown.

"I doubt it, I mean, they weren't something that Aizen-sama would choose to become Arrancar…but they could have evolved on their own I suppose…" he said. "Well, there were several that he had tried to increase powers in, but I don't think he had much success."

Grimmjow growled under his breath and took off. If there were Arrancar in Las Noches that they didn't know, that meant that the rumors were possibly true. There had been rumors for a while, none that Aizen had heard, of course. The rumor was there were hidden Arrancar in Las Noches. Some of them had been created by Aizen and either because they were too weak, or because they weren't fit for his purposes, had simply wandered away. Grimmjow had never cared enough to check into it further, but if there were Arrancar that had naturally evolved, they could be somewhere like that. He stopped outside the bath and wondered if he'd come here.

He opened the door and heard someone in there. He sighed. Of course he'd come here. "Ichigo?" he called as he went into the room.

"Go 'way," he heard Ichigo mutter.

Grimmjow sighed and saw him curled into one of the seats in the water. Grimmjow shucked his jacket and kicked off his hakama. He sighed and put his sword down on the clothes before he stepped down into it to go over to him. Grimmjow sat down and looked over at him. His hair had come loose and was covering his face. He didn't say anything for a long time.

"You saw one of them, didn't you?" Grimmjow finally asked.

Ichigo didn't say anything, he just seemed to curl in even more on himself. Grimmjow sighed and put a hand on his back. "Look. I know you aren't all there, okay? I mean, you've been here for two months now and you're barely able to put together one sentence together coherently. I don't care much for that shit anyway, I mean, I'm not what you'd call fucking sane. Espada of fucking destruction and shit. But what that fucker did…it wasn't right. You shouldn't have had to had any of that shit happen."

Grimmjow moved toward him again. "Look, you went through hell…"

"Worse than hell…" Ichigo whispered finally without moving. Grimmjow could feel the shiver through his body. "They left me…they left me alone…"

"I know. Some friends."

"I love them. I hate them. I just want them to know I…I…don't…blame them…" he whispered finally.

"What?" Grimmjow said and turned sharply.

Ichigo turned toward him with eyes that were clear for a rare moment. "I don't…" he said. "I know they were in pain. They couldn't see. But…I should just have died…"

"Ichigo, you…you know sometimes, don't you?" he said. "You sometimes, you're clear enough to know how insane you are?"

"I lost my mind…" he whispered and put his hand against his face. "In there, in that tower, watching the world pass outside…and they…they didn't care…they just…forgot me…forget me…" His nails started digging into his cheek and letting blood drip down his face. "I had to feel…I had to feel…"

Grimmjow reached out and grabbed his hand and pulled it away. "Hey, Kurosaki…"

"No, don't call me that, don't call me that…" he muttered. "I'm not that…not that…"

"Huh?" Grimmjow said with a frown. "You…why not?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nuh…not me…"

Grimmjow was quiet for a long time. "Did he say why he wanted to do the tests with those smells you don't like?"

"Wanted to see…see how it worked…" he said still trying to wrench his hand out of Grimmjow's grip, but it was weak. "You…you have it…" he whispered finally.

"Have what?" he asked in confusion.

"The smell," he said and leaned forward into him with an exhausted sigh. "But it doesn't scare…me…like the others…"

"The smell?" Grimmjow asked then it dawned on him. "The alpha smell?"

Ichigo nodded and breathed into his neck. "It makes…me clear…for a little bit…"

Grimmjow nodded and held onto him for a long moment. "Okay."

After Ichigo fell asleep on him he picked him up and took him to Aizen's room. He laid him down into the large bed and stayed there. He didn't know what to think about what he'd said. He looked up when the door opened and Aizen stood there.

"Where was he? What happened?" Aizen asked with surprising feeling to the words.

"I think…I think he saw one of the ones Kurotsuchi used, they're here, an Arrancar now, I think. He flipped out, he was in the bath. He…he said something that I smelled like them…but it made him clear for a little while," Grimmjow said with a frown.

Aizen moved and sat down beside him. "Octavo is right, I think he's somehow partitioned off the hollow, made the primary part that manifests."

"So what do we do?" Grimmjow asked, and somehow he was actually concerned about it.

"I've got to figure out how to repair this…fracture is the best word I can come up with. It's like he fractured his soul in the attempt to remove White."

"Something I'm wondering, Aizen-sama," Grimmjow said slowly. Aizen turned his gaze from Ichigo's unconscious form up to Grimmjow. "Why?"

Aizen stared for a long moment. "Why? What does that mean, Sexta?"

"Okay, I get you want his power. Yeah, got that shit, okay. Fine. But you've spent two months pretty much letting him run completely wild, killing and maiming I don't know how many Arrancar, using me, Nnoitra, and Ulquiorra as nursemaids to make sure _he_ doesn't get hurt. You get angry any time something like this happens when he freaks out or has a fucking ten-minute window of not batshit crazy and mentions what they did to him. This ain't a power play anymore," Grimmjow said with a sigh. "So I want to know what is it? Because…something's happening, and I don't know what the fuck it is, but I have the strongest inclination to fucking dismember every fucking person in Soul Society that did some of this shit to him. And I don't fucking know why."

Aizen looked at him and sighed. "It began simply, Sexta. It was so simple. Just like Gin and Tōsen. Just like you Espada. A means to an end. I'd get the boy. I'd use him for his power. Then what happened afterward simply didn't matter. He was disposable. The hogyuku. It does whatever I ask of it, but it also does what I don't ask of it. So I'm thinking it is affecting us in subtle ways. Trying to fix what's broken."

"What is it you didn't ask of it?" Grimmjow asked.

"To feel something for another," he said as he ran a hand over the messed and damp hair that fell around Ichigo's form. "To stop being lonely."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Andresta hit the doorway faster than he intended, nearly knocking himself flat as he hurried through the passages down into the hidden city. He hadn't meant to panic. He honestly hadn't. It wasn't like all the memories from before he became an Arrancar were intact. Sometimes, there were glimmers, of course, but nothing that he could really say he knew for sure what they meant. He wound his way through the winding paths of Agartha to try and find the person he thought might be able to help. He was a fortune teller after all.

"Zeboim!" Andresta yelled as he came skidding into the house that he was staying in.

The darker skinned Arrancar looked up at him in confusion. He locked his brilliant green eyes onto Adnresta's yellow ones. "What is it, Andresta?"

"I need your help!" he said and ran in and dropped to his knees before the other Arrancar.

Zeboim growled. "Stop that, get up from there."

Andresta stood up and wrung his hands together. Andresta had been an adjunca when he became an Arrancar. Zeboim had actually found him wandering the sands, confused and completely without memory of what happened and how he evolved to an Arrancar. He'd led him down into Agatha and showed him the colony of Arrancar, both natural and those that had escaped Las Noches and Aizen's command. They'd just wanted to live without being controlled.

"Help, I saw…I think I saw…someone from before!" he gasped, his bright yellow eyes almost glowing. His mask fragment looked like a necklace of sharp teeth that were somewhat canine in appearance.

"From before you showed up here?" Zeboim said and scratched at the cat ear looking fragments on his skull.

"The one…in the lab…that they…" he said with wide eyes.

"Calm down," Zeboim sighed and turned toward the hyena Arrancar. "What happened? Were you up in Las Noches again?"

"Yes, but I was careful, see, I've a uniform!" he said and gestured to the white clothes he was wearing, now the white typical uniforms up in the large city overhead. "I wanted to see if I could find any of those pieces of tech that we could use up there to fix the broken coolers!"

"Okay, so what are you talking about?"

"I told you, I couldn't remember, before you found me…but I saw him. And I remembered it…what happened…how I cracked my mask…how it all happened!" he said desperately wringing his hands.

"What, then?" Zeboim said as he sat down in the makeshift chair cobbled together with fabric and bones.

"He used me…the scientist…he put me in a cage…a cage with…with a…it wasn't a hollow, Zeboim. It wasn't! But he smelled like one, like a beta in heat…and I couldn't stop…stop…" he looked at Zeboim. "And he's up there…the one in that cage, whatever he is!"

Zeboim thought for a moment. "That might be a problem. Did he see you?"

"He did, he flipped out and took off as soon as he saw me! I don't know how he recognized me, I…I was a…a lot different…" Andresta said with a gasp.

"Smell, Andresta," Zeboim said with sigh. "You're saying you mated him, he's still going to recognize your smell and your reiatsu. This might be an issue if someone up there realizes we're down here…" Zeboim sighed. "I'll summon the others…" he said as he stood up. "we should probably get everyone together and figure out if we need to do something. We have to figure out what's going on up here."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"I can't do this anymore!" Shiro screamed as he tried to keep himself on the pole over the water.

Zangetsu stood nearby precariously balanced himself on another pole. "We can't do anything, not until something happens. The water is poisoned, and unless it's cleansed, it will destroy us."

Shiro touched the water with a finger and felt the sharp and painful sting as it tried to eat away the digit. "How could they do this…" he said.

"Your torture was more than mine, only because Kurotsuchi didn't realize what I was," Zangetsu said with a sigh.

"Torture? Is that what that was? Because I don't know what the fuck that was!" Shiro snapped. "That was death without the pleasure of fucking dying!"

"I know," he said with a sigh.

"And King is fucked the hell up. Like, I don't even know what the fuck to do with this… If I take control, it ain't gonna be pretty because it's gonna be like the last time. I'm not gonna tell friend from foe," he said as he knelt on the pole.

"I know, that's why you haven't done it yet," Zangetsu knowingly said as he looked around. Literally, there were two spots, the two longest flagpoles that emerged from the largest building in the inner world, that were out of the sick blackish gray water that surrounded them. The rain had been bad enough, but then, bubbling up from underneath the water, the black ichor had started to erode anything it touched.

The ichor was Ichigo's madness. It threatened to consume everything. Now and then, a bubble of clear water would burst on the surface, and for a brief second, the two spirits could see to the outside world but then it was gone as quickly as it came. They couldn't touch it else they would literally be obliterated from existence. They held on. They had to hold on. If they didn't…they were done for. All of them.

"Is there any answer?" Shiro asked and realized that tears were falling into the black ichor that threatened to consume them. "Anything we can do?"

"I've done all I can. I've pushed his power behind the fractures, in hope that he can't use them. He got to his Shunpo, though. I'm not sure that I know why or how he managed to get to it. The longer we're confined, the weaker I become," Zangetsu said with a sigh. "I have an idea, but you will have to be the one to enact it."

Shiro looked across the gap. "Whatever, I'm seriously going to go mad myself here."

"Let the hollow drives loose," he said, looking at him.

"What?" Shiro said. "If I do that…if I let him go like that…you know what will happen. I don't know if he can handle it. At all. Not after what that bastard did during his 'experiments'. You felt what happened today."

"I know, but it may be enough to break the seals on his power. I don't know any other way to force his spiritual energy through this ichor. All if it is underneath it…and the only think that might repair his mind is his reiatsu being under his control again. He needs to get the foreign reiatsu to dissipate. You know that it is poisoning us. And the only way to do that is to replace it."

Shiro sighed. "I'm gonna have two swim through it, aren't I?"

"It's the only way."

"Will I make it?" he asked.

"We have to merge again. Or there's no way we'll make it to the bottom where his reiatsu is clear, where Ichigo is still himself."

Shiro nodded. "I want my King back."

Zangetsu nodded and the two spirits united again, pausing before they dove into the thick and heavy ichor of Ichigo's madness, hoping that there was enough sanity in Ichigo's soul to survive. If they didn't, there was no hope left.


	4. When They Go Down Below

AN: First Draft! Changes may occur. First three chapters have had some drastic revisions...sorry. The story writes itself, you know...

Song Inspiration: Heaven Knows – The Pretty Reckless

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 _When They Go Down Below_

* * *

[Year 11, Month 6, Day 2]

Rukia and the others retreated to a nearby cavern system in hopes that they could think this over before they tried to get into Las Noches again.

"What…what was that?" Uryū asked as he looked around at them. "That…that was Ichigo, right?"

Rukia nodded nervously. "That's…that's what he is now, anyway. I think…I don't know that we can save him."

"He called him Cero," Renji said softly. "The blue haired one, Grimmjow. He called him Cero."

Orihime looked between them, hands clutched at her chest. "Cero? Did he use…but he can't turn Ichigo into an Arrancar, right? He's not…not…"

"He had a zero on his throat," Chad said. "I saw it when he was fighting, above that collar."

Rukia sat down in the sand slowly. "If he…if he turned him into one…he didn't have a hollow hole, though. There wasn't one there; the black mark was on his chest, but no hole. He didn't have the black markings when he left Soul Society. So something has changed since he got here."

"Maybe he gave him the number without turning him into an Arrancar?" Uryū said softly.

"He wouldn't…that…that would mean he was more powerful than that Arrancar that they fought over Karakura. The one with the one on the back of his hand," Renji said. "Like that big ass creature that was ten until he released and he was 0 then… So Ichigo is that powerful now…"

"He always was," Rukia said as she grimaced with her back to the group as she bandaged the wound in her shoulder. Luckily, only the end of Zabimaru had gone into her shoulder. The wound was only about three centimeters deep, and had quit bleeding quickly.

"How are you?" he said looking at Rukia.

"I'll be fine, Unohana-taichou gave me some supplies," she said and pulled her shihakuso back over her now bandaged shoulder. "He's insane. He let you run him through, nearly took his arm off, just to make you stab me with Zabimaru," she said quietly. "He said he was going to kill us."

"What did Aizen mean by he was better now? I mean, he was obviously pretty damn crazy still…" Renji said with a frown. "I mean, who lets their opponent nearly sever their arm like that. And he said he had to have someone reattach it…"

"He remembered what I said to him," Orihime said quietly, and the others could see she was crying. "That he deserved what he got. How…how could I say such a thing…no one deserves what has happened to Kurosaki-kun."

Chad nodded. "We can help him, still. There's a chance we can reason with him. He's still Ichigo."

"I'm not sure about that," Rukia said as she rubbed her shoulder. "That…I don't know what that was. I've seen the hollow, you have too, and that wasn't the hollow. That was Ichigo."

"He remembers what we said; that doesn't bode well for capturing him," Renji said with a sigh. "He's going to try and kill us every time we see us, and he has no concern for himself. Obviously, Aizen is nearby when he fights, which is in itself odd."

"I would imagine he won't remember things too kindly from what we said to him. I'm not surprised he wants to kill us," Uryū said with a sigh as he wandered toward the back of the cavern they'd hidden in. He took a step forward and then felt the world fall out from under him and yelped as he slid down a ramp of some sort.

"Ishida-kun!" Orihime said and ran over to him, only to skid right down into the ramp after him.

Chad didn't hesitate, he just ran and jumped in after them, and Rukia and Renji stared at each other for a second before they followed. They had no idea what they just ran into, but they were well out of the range of Las Noches. They tumbled out into an open area lit with some sort of luminescent moss lining the walls. They all stood up and looked around.

"Where the hell are we?" Renji asked as he turned around just in time to see someone put a spear to his throat. He looked up and up to see a figure that had to be an Arrancar with a huge helmet with horns over his head and a large spear at him. He was perhaps nine feet tall and was just staring at him with solid black colored eyes.

Renji glanced behind him and saw that they were surrounded with their back to the wall by at least eight Arrancar. Renji looked at Rukia and she shook her head, raising her hands. None of these Arrancar spoke, they just took their weapons and shuffled them down a winding serious of mazelike corridors that lasted forever. They passed alcoves and rooms, some open, some covered with some sort of curtains of various colors. All over the place, different types of lights lit up the place, from the glowing moss, to lanterns, and some flaming sconces. They were roughly pushed into a room where there were several pallets laid out for sleeping, where there were a few other figures already there. They were taken to the far corner and each of them were shackled with some sort of sealing cuffs that the huge Arrancar pulled from his bag. He then chained them to the wall with enough chain to move around a little, but not much. He nodded, then turned and left with the others that had captured them.

"What the hell just happened?" Renji said, looking at the others. "This isn't Las Noches. Those are Arrancar, though," he said, watching as several others walked around him. He could see they had the mask fragments, and hollow holes still.

Rukia looked around and saw that none of them were paying them much attention at all, just going about their business.

"Where…where in the world are we?" Rukia asked as she looked around.

There was a crash on the other side of them and Orihime gasped as a couple of the Arrancar that had just come into the room fell onto a nearby mat in a tangled heap. Both of them were nude, and within short order, all five of those shackled realized what they were doing.

"Oh, my," Rukia said as she turned away. "Okay…did I just see…"

Renji was watching intently. "Yup. Definitely having sex."

Rukia reached up and smacked Renji on the arm. "Stop watching!"

"Why? They don't seem to mind, besides, she's got a nice…" This time Rukia punched him in the gut. He grunted and sat down with a sigh. "I'm just curious…" he muttered.

The couple apparently fell asleep and the group continued to watch around them. These Arrancar were different than the ones they'd met before. They wore eclectic assortments of clothing from the World of the Living, when they wore clothes, as some seemed to just wander around nude. More than once they had to divert their attention as a pair or more fell into one of the nearby mats in a heap with each other. Renji tried to watch covertly, but Rukia seemed to catch him every time. He noticed, though, that some of them seemed to emit a pulse of reiatsu during their encounter. It was a warm feeling, though, when it washed over them. The others noted it but none had any idea what it could have been.

After a few hours, they guessed, at least, a female Arrancar came into the room. She was headed toward them with a shorter male Arrancar in tow behind her. She wore layers of soft colored silk and had lovely long brown hair cascading down her shoulders and back. As she got closer, they realized that her mask fragment was a pair of feather looking earrings that dangled from her earlobes. The shorter Arrancar behind her had a round mask fragment around one of his eyes. They stopped and she looked over them.

"Why are you here?" she said in a soft and soothing sounding voice. She crossed her arms over her ample breasts and stared at them.

"Hoot," said the shorter male beside her with a frown across his round face.

Rukia stood up and looked at her. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki. I'm a…"

"Shinigami, yes, I know Shinigami when I see them. What I want to know is why you are here with three humans that have such strong reiatsu?" she asked, looking toward Orihime, Uryū, and Chad.

Rukia cleared her throat. "Um, Aizen has our friend, and we came to get him…" she began.

"The leader of Las Noches has your friend." Her voice sounded flat at the statement. "Why should this concern us?"

"Because Aizen's…he's trying to destroy everything!" Orihime said with a frown at the Arrancar.

"We are perfectly happy here, in our home, hidden from any that would try and bother us," she said as she looked over them.

Renji stood then. "Look, we came here because we messed things up. And our friend…he's paying for what we did. We want to help him."

The dark haired Arrancar looked at him. "How did you know how to find Las Noches?"

"We've been here before," Uryū said without thinking first. He gasped and wondered if that had been the best thing to say.

"You have," she said. "When some of the Espada died."

"Yes," Rukia said. "We fought some of them, here and in the World of the Living."

"Maxi," she said, turning to the owl Arrancar beside her. "Go find the ones that have come from Las Noches. We shall see what their opinion of these Shinigami are."

"Whooo," he said and took off. It was somewhat disconcerting that as he left, he turned his head almost 180 degrees to look back at them.

"What is this place?" Chad asked as he spoke for the first time.

"Agartha," the Arrancar said. "This is our safe haven, for those of us that your Shinigami creates and abandons, or those of us that evolve on our own."

Rukia nodded. "That's why when we fell into your passage you brought us here and confined us," she said with a sigh. "You're protecting your secret home. But why near Las Noches? Isn't it dangerous to be near Aizen and his Espada?"

She smiled at her. "Well, the fact is, a lot of our people come from Las Noches, either escaping or being left for dead outside the walls."

"Whoo!" came the shorter Arrancar's voice as he came back with three familiar Arrancar.

"What is it, Imelda?" asked the blonde haired female Arrancar as she approached. She stopped and stared at Orihime. "The woman."

"Menoly," Imelda said with a nod. "These Shinigami and their human friends say they've been here before."

Loly looked at Menoly and back at Orihime. They looked much the same as when Orihime had seen them before. They were dressed differently, though. Menoly wore short pants and some kind a jacket over a tank top, and Loly wore a short skirt and a halter top. Both wore bright colors now instead of the white uniforms.

"She healed us, even though we tried to kill her," Menoly said with a curt nod at Orihime. "The rest I know not."

"I know the tall one," came the third voice and Chad recognized the Arrancar that he had fought. Gantenbainne nodded. "Their healing Shinigami healed me after the fight with him when I was defending Aizen."

Imelda nodded slowly. "Are they to be trusted here?" she asked the three other Arrancar.

Loly and Menoly exchanged a glance and then looked at Gantenbainne. He shrugged at her. "I don't know why they would try to harm us. We have no quarrel with them. Before they had come to Las Noches to rescue the woman there."

"We're here to get Ichigo, Aizen has him," Rukia said, hoping they knew who she was talking about. "The orange haired Shinigami that defeated Ulquiorra and Grimmjow."

"Oh, that one," Loly said with a nod. "Yeah, I heard from Andresta that he's up topside."

"Have you seen him?" Rukia asked franticly.

"Hell no, we don't go up there," Menoly said, shaking her head. "We don't have a death wish. We're fine down here. I am not putting my beta in danger by coming near that place again. But he's in Zeboim's room right now. He keeps running to him and begging him to curse him with his cards so he'll die."

"I can take you to Andresta," Imelda said with a nod. "But I warn you, if you try to harm any of our people, I will destroy you." Her eyes narrowed and she settled a glare on each of them in turn.

Rukia nodded. She didn't doubt it. She assumed that this Imelda was their leader since she came down to talk to them. She glanced around as several other wildly dressed Arrancar wandered by. It was almost surreal to see them.

Maxi went over and unhooked their wrists and hooted at each of them in turn. Imelda smiled at the other three Arrancar and they turned to leave. Orihime noted that Loly and Menoly left hand in hand. Imelda led them through a maze of twisting corridors toward a room that had a curtain with a strange nubby weaved texture.

"Zeboim," she called out. "Andresta still with you? Menoly said he'd been with you lately."

"Yes, come, Imelda, he's still rather upset, I was about to take him to Medical," came a deeper voice from inside. "He had another nightmare about things and he's impossible to deal with today."

Imelda pushed the curtain back and led the five into the room. He turned his bright green eyes on them. "Who is this?"

"They are some that invaded Las Noches last time there was an incursion," Imelda said. "They are seeking the one who Aizen has up in Las Noches, the Shinigami boy."

Andresta, who had been in a room that was up off the floor to the side, fell out of it onto the floor with a sob. Zeboim sighed. "Andresta, stop this nonsense! Get up and come over here if you are so distraught by your memories returning. It has been almost four months yet you still act as though it was yesterday," he muttered as he petted the hollow dog on his lap.

The other Arrancar came out from behind a curtain and stared at the group in the dim light of the luminescent moss that lit the room. "I deserve death!" he moaned as he fell to his hands and knees before them. "Please kill me for what I've done!"

Rukia and Renji exchanged a glance as they looked at him. He got on his knees and they could see the mask fragment around his neck similar to the Primera Espada. "What did you do?"

"Horrible things! To the one in the cage!" he gasped and put his head down on his hands and wept.

Imelda sighed and looked at Zeboim. "Can you explain? I've never seen him so…upset. I'm afraid I haven't been caught up on this particular situation. I haven't seen much of you or Andresta lately."

"He remembered what happened before he cracked his mask," Zeboim said as he leaned back in the chair of fabric and bones. "It has been particularly traumatic for him."

Imelda nodded. "Oh, was he one of the ones that had been…"

Zeboim sighed. "Apparently. Explains why he had no memory and was wandering the sands."

"Ones that had been what?" Renji asked with a frown.

"Been experimented on by your people," Imelda said and looked at him. "There are several here that wandered back from Soul Society after the scientist you have got done with them. Some are confined to the medical ward; others have some functionality to be left on their own. We sometimes know when an Arrancar has been manipulated, but we didn't realize that Andresta had been."

Maxi looked at Andresta. "Hoot!" he said seriously.

"I'm sorry!" Andresta said. "I just…how do I live with knowing what I did!"

"You didn't do it, you were put in a cage and forced into alpha rutting, besides, you weren't an Arrancar, so you were nothing more than instinct," Zeboim said and waved his hand at him. "We've all been adjunca at some point, Andresta. You aren't the only alpha here, remember?"

"But what I did…" he said and looked at the Shinigami. "What you made me do…"

Rukia and Renji realized he was staring at them. "I'm not a researcher…" Rukia said with a shake of her head. There was a sonido, though, and Andresta stood over her.

"You are not innocent of what others do in your name, Shinigami!" he said with sudden anger.

"Andresta, they are our guests…" Imelda said with a sigh.

"I don't care! They sit by and watch as we're treated like test subjects and tortured and forced to…to…" he stopped and gasped. "I can't go back; I can't go up there. He'll see me again…I wasn't even on two legs then…he still knew me…"

"You are a hyena hollow," Imelda said with a nod. "So you were four legged as an Adjunca. So that is when the Shinigami had captured you. What is it that has you so very upset currently?"

"He was gathering parts up in Las Noches, and he ran into one of the other test subjects from the Shinigami researcher," Zeboim said with a sigh. "One he'd forced into a beta heat."

"No wonder he ran away from me! But he knows I'm here, now, and if he tells Aizen that I'm there, and I don't belong, they might come looking…" Andresta said. "I should just go up there and turn myself into Aizen, then he can't find the rest of you."

Imelda sighed. "Andresta, if it has been nearly four months, no one is coming down as a result of him seeing you. Now, these Shinigami are looking for their friend, and I wanted to know if you had seen him while you were up there. He is a Shinigami, with bright orange hair…and…"

At the statement Andresta fell to the floor again weeping and covering his head, almost wailing. Zeboim looked at Imelda. "That is who he is talking of, Imelda."

"But he is not even a hollow, how could they put him into a beta heat?" Imelda asked with a frown etching her brows.

"He wasn't! Well, he was a hollow, but not really. And he smelled like it…so strong…and I couldn't…couldn't stop it. Something was wrong, though, very wrong…he didn't fight, and I knew he was stronger than me," Andresta said where he'd turned his head to lay his face on the floor. "He should have ripped my throat out. I knew it then because I didn't even want to go in there with him. I thought I was dead the moment I smelled it."

Imelda looked at him. "Wait, you claimed a beta more powerful than you were?"

Andresta nodded and whimpered. "I know!"

"Oh, this isn't good," Imelda muttered and crossed her arms over her bust.

"What are you all talking about?" Rukia said, trying not to put the pieces together in her head.

Imelda looked at her. "Your friend, he was in that scientist's tests, yes?"

Renji and Rukia nodded slowly, regretting that they had to say yes. "Yes, there was…"

"I care not for the explanation. The point is that he has enough of a hollow soul that he was able to be claimed in a mating by an Alpha. But if a beta is mated by an alpha that isn't as powerful as they are, there's problems. They die eventually because the alpha's reiatsu can't overpower the beta's, and it sinks into them like a fever, and they waste to nothing. Any beta that is easily overpowered by lesser hollows is sick, dying, or otherwise hurt and not fit to bear offspring. If this has happened to your friend, he may not live much longer," Imelda said with a sigh.

Renji and Rukia looked down then Renji realized what she meant. "Wait, he mated, like had sex with, him?"

"I suppose, but not nearly as pleasant if he was forced into a cage with a rutting alpha he couldn't fight," Zeboim said from his seat. "I mean, I would imagine it would be quite…traumatic, especially with something like Andresta was. Four legged adjunca are powerful and…"

Andresta sobbed loudly and ran to hide in the alcove he'd been in before. They could hear him sobbing inside it as they wondered what exactly they were going to do…

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 3, Day 18]

Aizen sat beside the bed as Szayelaporro went over another set of tests. He'd had to knock Ichigo out for this one. The last two weeks had been composed of nothing but constant testing. Ichigo spent much of it trying to get away from Szayelaporro's lab, but they couldn't let him. He was unpredictable with a Shunpo active now. Aizen wasn't sure how to deal with this now, but more than that, he wasn't sure what to do with his own emotions. He'd put the entirety of Las Noches on alert for any Arrancar that were out of place or didn't belong. Worry edged at his thoughts, though. He looked up to see Ulquiorra had come down as he'd requested.

"Aizen-sama," he said with a nod. "You requested me?"

"Yes, Cuarta. I need you to keep watch on Ichigo while I go check in with our new Segunda. He has missed the last several meetings, sending his fraccion instead. I would rather find out the reason for his absence."

Ichigo watched him go and let a small whimper escape his lips. "He left…" he muttered.

Ulquiorra looked over at Szayelaporro who was busy with something at the moment. "I will stay with you," he told Ichigo.

"You don't like me," he muttered and looked away.

Ulquiorra frowned and stared for a moment. "Why do you believe this?"

"I killed you already, you killed me, but we didn't stay dead…" he commented and looked at Ulquiorra with a long look. "How did it happen…no one dies…no one really dies…can't let them die…can't die…suffering…gotta live…for the suffering…" he muttered and looked back at the ceiling.

"I'll be damned," Szayelaporro said as he walked back over. He looked down at Ichigo. "He's a Quincy, too. No wonder Kurotsuchi couldn't figure out how to separate his powers. He has three power sets…amazing. That explains why he doesn't bleed to death. He has a power that staunches wounds."

"You can tell this from your tests?" Ulquiorra asked quietly.

"Not all of it. Tests and observation. He never seems to bleed out when he should. I've reattached his fingers several time, or regrown them completely, but I wondered why he seemed to stem the blood flow so quickly. That's the only answer," Szayelaporro said with a smile. "Such a rarity, indeed…"

"Does it help reacquire his sanity?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Not at all. He's still fractured from what I can tell. More than that, something has blocked his power behind the fractures. It might have to do with the spirits he has inside. The problem is, though, the foreign reiatsu is causing more issues at the moment," he muttered with a sigh.

"Foreign reiatsu?" Ulquiorra asked.

"The crazy Shinigami tried to mate him with adjunca alpha hollows. But not only regular adjunca, it was ones that he had tampered with already. So they were more powerful than the ones normally found. It's interfering with, almost poisoning, his own reiatsu."

Ulquiorra frowned and looked at him as he twitched in the bindings he was wearing to hold him to the table. "Can you remove it?"

"Not any way I can find. It has to be overpowered by a more powerful alpha reiatsu," Szayelaporro said with a sigh. "And considering what he's done to all the alphas he's come across, that may not be possible."

"So this other reiatsu is causing the insanity?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Some of it, but not all of it. I mean, he's fucking insane, and this just makes it even worse. There's a chance…" he muttered and sighed.

"A chance?" Ulquiorra asked again.

"Well, if a powerful alpha were to claim him, releasing the reiatsu for the claiming right, there's a chance that it might start healing the fractures. Alphas are supposed to care for the beta, so that means that their reiatsu is going to bolster the beta's. It might be possible, but he's too unpredictable to put with an alpha of any sort," Szayelaporro said with a sigh.

Ulquiorra looked at him. "His power is great. Is that why there is a mismatch? The alphas that the scientist used were not equal or greater in power than he is?"

Szayelaporro gasped. "That's it! That's why the reiatsu is poisoning him," he said excitedly and ran to the end of the table and began looking over readings. "That's exactly the problem!"

"Because they were too weak?" the Cuarta asked with a frown.

"Yes, yes! In our unevolved states, adjunca and lower, the animal drives are what we are stuck with. Consuming souls to fill the emptiness in our own souls, destroying anything weaker than we are in attempt to feel something besides that emptiness, and procreating in another desperate attempt to fill the gnawing emptiness. Once evolving into Arrancar, most of us lose the lower needs, or they become less consuming. We become less animal and more…well, Shinigami. Arrancar are the bridge between hollow and Shinigami," Szayelaporro said as he looked over a few more things. "So, when the Shinigami tried to mold Ichigo into a hollow, he didn't count on the fact that he was far more powerful as a hollow than anything his people could capture. Ichigo's hollow alone is equal in power to you, as you found out in the field of battle."

Ulquiorra nodded. "So putting a hollow adjunca even with increased power with him was never going to do much. If they were not at least his power, how did he manage to not kill them?"

Szayelaporro moved around and pulled Ichigo to face him. "Ichigo?"

"Hum?" he said as his eyes flickered around Szayel's face.

"Focus, I have to ask you about what Kurotsuchi did," he said carefully.

Ichigo's eyes stilled and widened as he stared into Szayel's golden eyes.

"There, now. I need to know, when he put the hollows in with you, the ones with the smell, why didn't you kill them?" he asked carefully.

Ichigo shook his head for a minute, but Szayel smiled at him. "Please, I need to know, to help you."

"There was another smell with some of them," he said quietly. "They…I couldn't stop them…I killed so many of them, so many…then they gave me the thing that made me fall down and I couldn't fight anymore…"

"He weakened you," Szayel said with a sad smile. "No wonder they could claim you. Stupid Shinigami idiot," he grumbled. "Just when I think he's smart, he does something this stupid," he muttered and turned a monitor around.

"What is it?" Ulquiorra said with a frown.

"See, that's the game of it, with alphas and betas. The beta will kill any alpha that dares to approach them that isn't near their power. But what this idiot scientist did was weaken him artificially, then throw a fully rutting adjunca hollow, less than half his power, in with him, and try to claim him. Because it is far too weak to overpower his reiatsu, even just the hollow reiatsu, it's settled into him like a poison. It serves a purpose. Any beta that is already sick or dying wouldn't be able to fight a lesser alpha. Alphas don't care what they claim, of course, but to keep the beta from carrying young, the reiatsu that is wrong kills them quicker. Like I said, it's poisoning him. Literally. If something isn't done before long, his mind isn't going to be the only thing he loses," he said with a sigh.

"What should we do?" Ulquiorra said with a concerned glance at Ichigo. He was muttering as though talking to someone.

"He has to be claimed," Szayel said with a sigh. "Otherwise, his reiatsu is going to slowly kill him."

"Who can do this?" Ulquiorra asked, knowing that Ichigo was important to Aizen.

Szayel reached out and ran his hand over Ichigo's head. "He has to choose them," he said with a sigh. "I will have to activate and release the alpha drive in someone, and hope he takes them. If he doesn't, he'll try and kill whoever it is. And I'm not sure we can stop him from killing them, no matter how powerful they are."

Ichigo looked up at him suddenly. "The smell…I don't want that again…what they did…" he muttered and tried to pull his arms from the restraints. "They took…in there…"

Szayel moved around and put his hands on Ichigo's face. "Hey, no one can take what you do not give from now on, okay?" Szayel whispered to him. "That's not something we do. No matter what Kurotsuchi did, he didn't do the right things. We are not animals; we are Arrancar."

Ichigo nodded and looked at Ulquiorra. "You have the smell," he whispered to him. "Like Grimmy. And Nnoi."

Szayelaporro nodded. "They're alphas, aren't they? You can already smell it even without me activating the full release of the pheromones."

"Alphas…" Ichigo said. "They hurt us."

"Ichigo, no one will hurt you, I promise," Szayel said with a smile at him. "I won't let them, and neither will Aizen-sama."

Ichigo frowned. "I like your smell too," he muttered. "Smells like ink and flowers," he whispered with a smile now.

"Ink and flowers?" Szayel said with a smirk. "What about Ulquiorra?"

Ichigo turned and looked at him. "He smells like…tears and night air."

"And what about Grimmjow and Nnoitra?" Szayelaporro asked with a glance over at the confused Ulquiorra.

"Grimmy…smells like rainfall and musk…and Nnoitra smells like grass and ginger…" he said with a look toward the door. "Puppy smells like lavender and green tea…" he said as he smiled again.

"Puppy?" Ulquiorra said with a frown. "Starrk?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. The third smells like salt and wind."

"Interesting, so all the Espada are alphas…" Ulquiorra said with a nod at Szayel. "It makes sense, however. Great power. Does Aizen-sama smell like anything?" he asked with curiosity.

Ichigo smiled then. "Master? Master…he smells…like safety and warmth…" he said before he looked away, eyes beginning to flicker again as his focus waned.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Zangetsu cowered in the small bubble they had found. They made it through the ichor and now were underneath the vast amount that now spanned over them.

"Don't want to do that again," Shiro gasped out as they separated into two entities again. Shiro fell to the ground and heaved deep breaths.

"It was difficult," Zangetsu said as he examined their location.

It was a bubble like space at the very center of Ichigo's inner world. All around them, the clear barrier that encased it shimmered and sparked as the ichor tried to invade this last vestige of sanity. Luckily, it was larger than either of the spirits had anticipated. Shiro stood up and looked out.

"Is that…the other reiatsu?" he asked as he watched bubbles of odd colored lightning fall in the ichor.

"It is. The ones that are flashing are causing the damage," Zangetsu said as they watched as a bright blue ball exploded on the shield and made it shiver. "Unless we can get rid of that, we're going to lose even this small bubble of protection. The Ichor doesn't try to encroach on it, but if those explosions manage to crack this bubble, it will seep into this space, and we'll die.

Shiro stood and looked around. "Where are we anyway?" he asked as he turned around the spot. "This has to be Ichigo's safest place," he said as he realized where they were.

It was a copy of Ichigo's room from the World of the Living. The bed, the small desk, the closet where Rukia had slept…it was all there. And in the center of it, a photo lay on the ground. Shiro walked over and picked it up and nearly sobbed. He didn't, but very nearly, and he handed it to Zangetsu. The other spirit took it and sighed deeply. It was a picture of Ichigo with his friends, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, and Renji. Then, when it was tilted, it changed to a picture of Ichigo with his father and his sisters. Both images were cracked. Zangetsu saw Shiro was struggling with a lot of things, and he also understood that he was desperately fighting to hold onto sanity himself.

"Shiro, we will help him. You have to let the hollow instincts go. That reiatsu has to be destroyed, and there's only one way to have that happen. You know this," Zangetsu said. He knew that Shiro didn't want to do this. The thought of having anyone touch his King again made Shiro sick, and Zangetsu knew why. No one loved Ichigo as much he did.

"I know it, but I don't fuckin' like it!" he snapped. "Fine," he muttered and closed his eyes.

A slight red glow started behind his eyelids and he breathed out long and low. He reached down and grabbed the threads of instinct that were buried there. He pulled them up slowly. His hands rose up above him and a burst of black and red reiatsu floated easily through the bubble and the ichor around them. Shiro sighed and sat down on the floor and crossed his legs.

"I don't like it," he muttered to Zangetsu.

"I know, but it must be. Kurotsuchi turned us more hollow than we liked," Zangetsu said as he watched the barrier around them arc and fizz.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"What do you mean?" Aizen asked as he stood over the bed where Ichigo had passed out.

"I mean, that if we don't do this, he's going to die," Szayelaporro said with a sigh. "I can't fix it. Alpha reiatsu has to overpower the poisoned reiatsu. It isn't going to cure his mind, but it might start to release his own reiatsu. What's happening is a combination of things, Aizen-sama. Any one of these problems would be detrimental, but all of them together…it is slowly killing him."

"What of the hogyuku?" Aizen asked seriously.

"You might succeed with trying to transform him, but we don't know the results of trying the Arrancar transformation on something like him. I would rather send him into the attempt without this reiatsu poisoning him. He might simply die during the transformation, if so," Szayel said with a sigh. "When do you intend to do it?"

"I was hoping soon."

"Well, I'd deal with this problem before you try," Szayelaporro said.

"Won't it cause more problems with his mental state?" Aizen asked with a sigh.

"He says that you smell like safety and warmth," Szayel said thoughtfully. "And he calls Sexta 'Grimmy' and says that he smells like 'rainfall and musk'. He identified smells for all the Espada, except Segunda, of course, he hasn't met him yet. I think his instincts are rising to the surface and he's acknowledging the alphas around him."

Aizen nodded and unhooked Ichigo from the table slowly. He carefully picked him up and carried him back to their room. He paused at the door and thought to himself. How strange. He thought of it as their room for some reason. He smiled though, glancing down into Ichigo's sleeping face and felt something surge in his chest. He wrote it off as the hogyuku again. He didn't realize how right he was, though.

He laid him down in the mound of pillows and sat down beside him to think. Trying to understand what was happening was more difficult than he anticipated. His intentions had been to use the boy and not care what happened to him. However, since he'd come to Las Noches, he hasn't once done anything save attempt to heal him. His mind had not been on anything else.

He almost jumped when he felt Ichigo's hand snake into his own. He looked down to see wide brown eyes staring up at him.

"You came back," he said quietly.

Aizen smiled. "Of course, my dear. I told you I would come back. Are you still afraid that I'll leave you alone?"

Ichigo nodded slowly. "I don't want you to leave me alone," he said and Aizen felt something that he didn't expect. He leaned forward and kissed Ichigo's cheek gently.

"I won't, you're mine now, and I will keep you safe," he said with surprising feeling to the statement.

Ichigo looked away from him for a long moment. "But I'm…I can't…I just want someone…to hold…and…" he said as his breath started to heave in his chest.

Before he thought, Aizen moved and pulled him up into his lap, clutching him against his chest. "Now, I'm here, remember?" he said as he ran hands over his head, loosening the tie in his braid. The long hair tumbled down out of it and cascaded around him as he buried his face in Aizen's shoulder.

"I've tried so hard, Master," he whispered against him. "We've tried…"

"I know, Ichigo," Aizen said with a smile as he felt Ichigo clutch him tighter.

"I didn't hurt myself because you said not to," he said as Aizen realized that he was crying. "I didn't want you to leave me, so I…I didn't. Not much, I did a couple times, but it wasn't bad, I promise, is that okay?" he said and leaned back looking at Aizen with suddenly fearful eyes.

Aizen smiled and put his hand on Ichigo's face. "Shh, I know you tried your hardest. The Espada told me how well you had done while you were with them."

Ichigo nodded, eyes flickering out of focus for a moment. "I like…I like them around…"

Aizen smirked. "You do?"

"They smell nice, and it feels nice to smell them…makes me feel warm and hot," he said quietly. "But not scary like the others did."

Aizen realized what Ichigo was saying. The alphas that were equal to or greater than his power smelled "nice" to him. The ones that were weaker, and thus should not be able to claim him smelled "scary", thus triggering the fighting reflex in him. It was honestly fascinating, and a lot more than he had done with the whole understanding of Alpha/beta relations in the hollows. Because they weren't powerful enough, an inferior rutting Alpha would be destroyed. The Arrancar he had dismembered had been Alphas that were in that phase, and triggered the fearful instinct to destroy them before they tried to get to him. Things were beginning to make more sense now. Mayuri had indeed made Ichigo more hollow than he realized…

"You don't have to worry about the scary ones, Ichigo. Ever again. If one of the Espada smells nice to you, you can go to them, if you want, my sweet," he said as he ran his hands down Ichigo's back.

"But I'm yours…you said…" Ichigo said as he leaned back and to Aizen's surprise, Ichigo's eyes were both blown wide. Aizen wasn't sure if it was an effect of the alphas he'd been around or something else entirely.

"Yes, you are, but I'm not a hollow or Arrancar, I cannot claim you and make you feel better like you need," he said with a soft smile. "The others that Mayuri used, they were too weak for you, and it left you with a poison inside you that is hurting you. An Espada that smells nice can help you with it. If you prefer a female alpha to aid you, I can ask Harribel. I am sure she would not mind claiming a fourth beta in need."

Ichigo looked at him with eyes that were showing the barest rims of brown. "But…I love you, Master. You saved me and I love you so much," he whispered and Aizen realized that his own mouth had gone dry. "I want master to love me," he said. "Make us…me…feel something other than pain."

"I don't know that you're able to make such a choice, my dear, you…" Aizen began.

"I'm clear right now," he said and locked eyes on Aizen's. "Being…being around the Espada helps a little. It doesn't last long, it won't…but I know…I know I need something else besides…"

Ichigo gasped then as Aizen slid his hand down the front of his hakama and hummed. "So it would seem," Aizen muttered as he rubbed his hand over the extremely aroused front of Ichigo's body.

"Please, let me feel it…while I'm…not out of my mind…" he gasped as Aizen flipped him onto his back. "Before…before I go to them…I want you…you…"

Aizen didn't waste a moment as he began at his throat, licking and sucking down the lines and curves over his collarbones. His hands undid the obi and pushed his coat open. He trailed kisses and biting sucks down his middle to the soft line of reddish orange hair that ran down from his belly button. He blew on the skin under his navel and watched as Ichigo's flesh pricked in gooseflesh and he exhaled above him. Aizen slipped his hands down over Ichigo's hips and slid the hakama down his legs.

Ichigo wasn't sure how it happened, his head spun and he was covered in a feeling like water washing over him. He heard the voices but they weren't the same, these were the voices he should be hearing. It was like a bubble bursting and setting the world to right for a bright moment.

Still, he jerked as he felt Aizen's hand under him and then sliding insistent fingers into him slowly. He arched at the feeling of him pressing into him. Ichigo moaned and locked his eyes on Aizen as he stared down at him. He couldn't help the desperate moans that left his lips as he ached everywhere to be touched, to be held, just to be for a moment… He needed to feel like he wasn't alone. He needed to know that he was a part of someone else.

Aizen hadn't intended this to go this way, but he had no choice now, the debauched Ichigo was letting him know without a doubt that he wanted him to make him feel something, and he was intending to. He didn't have the patience, and honestly, Ichigo didn't have the sanity, for it to take too much longer. He worked a third finger into him, making him flinch under him, and began stroking the tight muscles to coax them into loosening. Ichigo's body was so soft and warm inside, the quivering flesh clenching against his fingers eagerly. Aizen smiled as he slid his hand from his entrance and positioned his leaking arousal against his body. He looked at Ichigo again, sliding himself against him gently. He needed to see that he was clear. He had no idea why it mattered; he'd originally intended to take him whenever he wanted, but he hadn't. He wouldn't.

"Ichigo, I won't do this if you don't want me to," he said, and surprisingly, he meant those words. Again he didn't note the pulsing feeling in his own chest.

"Ah, please, Sōsuke…" Ichigo gasped as he tried to press against his cock, both hands fisted in the sheets and pillows.

That was all it took as Aizen slid his hardness into the soft and pliant body under him. It took a moment for him to realize he was actually doing this for Ichigo, not only himself. He felt the heat and constriction and it felt better than anything should have ever felt. He leaned forward and grasped Ichigo tightly. He felt his breathing on his shoulder hotly. He tried to stay still until he felt Ichigo's body flinch and buck back on him. Aizen breathed out and then leaned back up, pushing Ichigo's legs open wider so that he could watch as he slipped down into him. Ichigo's cock twitched every time he slid into him deeper and he was wondering if he was going to orgasm like this…

Aizen growled under his breath, though, unable to stand the slowness any more as he felt Ichigo's body clench down on him painfully. Ichigo was saying something, but it was so garbled, Aizen couldn't understand what it was. He began to thrust deep and hard into him and smiled as Ichigo reacted to each movement with a whimper, a moan, or a whine, and sometimes a muttered request for "deeper", "faster", or "harder". Aizen couldn't hold it much longer, though, so he grabbed Ichigo's leaking member and began stroking him in time with his own plunging thrusts. Ichigo didn't last much longer as he arched and cried out. His body clenched hard onto Aizen and he growled and thrust deeper and harder a few more times before he felt himself go over into release.

Neither of them noticed the slight flare of bluish light that surrounded them briefly because their eyes were closed. It was felt, however mildly, by them. It was mistaken as a part of the such activities. Aizen tumbled over onto the bed beside him, panting for breath and surprised at himself. He pulled Ichigo into his chest and held him as both their hearts began to slow. Ichigo turned over and grabbed Aizen's face. He pulled him into a passionate kiss full of teeth and tongue that descended into a languid thing as he leaned away from him.

"Thank you for that, Master…" he muttered as his eyes closed and he slipped into sleep.

Aizen smiled, running a hand over Ichigo's head slowly. He frowned briefly, wondering just what the hell was going on. Then, the thought passed and he pulled covers over them both, and clutching Ichigo to his chest, and fell asleep with him.


	5. When They Claim Life

AN: Okay, this is super short and first drafty. Mostly because I'm going back since I'm at five chapters to do some edits. Some of my thinking has changed, so there's some corrections in previous chapters.

The idea is that the end of each chapter, starting at four, will be a look at the Present. Eventually, Ichigo's timeline will catch up to the shinigami and Agarthan Arrancar, about the time that they encounter each other again. But that's another few chapters. Enjoy!

Chapter Five

When They Claim Life

[Year 11, Month 3, Day 18]

Grimmjow blinked at Aizen for a long moment. "You want to what?"

"I want Szayelaporro to activate the hollow mating instinct in the Espada. Those that are willing, of course. When I do, of course, anyone involved will start to rut. Hopefully, Ichigo will choose one of you to help with his…problem," Aizen said almost nonchalantly as Ichigo sat curled into his lap sleeping against his chest. They were in the middle of the "throne" room.

"Okay, wait a minute, I thought that's what caused this problem, that crazy fucking Shinigami doing that to him," Grimmjow said with a frown.

"Yes, but he mated him with lower hollows. The addition of their spiritual energy has corrupted his own. After what Mayuri did, Ichigo can't quell the instincts. They are on, fully, and there's no way to get rid of them now."

Grimmjow stared. "So you want one of us to fuck him?"

"Or more than one, depends on how interested he is in you," Aizen said as he threaded fingers through the long hair that cascaded down Ichigo's back. He hadn't braided it yet today. He'd been far too sleepy for too much of the day. "He's dying, Sexta. I can't use the hogyuku because the results are unpredictable in his condition."

Grimmjow, despite his words, felt every bit of blood rush to his cock. "Ah, okay," he said. Aizen tipped his head to the side and smirked at him.

"That was easier than I thought to convince you of…I think you lust after him as well, don't you?"

Grimmjow snorted. "Whatever," he muttered and cleaned his ear thoughtlessly with his pinky as he looked away.

"Go see Szayelaporro, along with any others who wish to participate. There is no guarantee he'll choose any one of you over another. I'd like him to have as much choice as possible, that way he's less likely to try and kill one of you."

Grimmjow nodded and headed off to gather the others. He saw Ulquiorra on the way. "Yo, you wanna fuck the crazy as fucking Shinigami?"

The placid Cuarta frowned and stared. "I do not know what you mean…"

"Octavo is going to trigger that heat thing and get us more instinct…whatever the fuck. Anyway, Aizen-sama wants us to go as many as possible so he gets a good selection," he said with a shrug and walked away. He did note that Ulquiorra turned and went toward the labs.

Grimmjow saw the next one he was looking for, Hallibel. "Hey, you helping with the whole fucked up alpha/beta mess with the boy?"

She shook her head. "I'll decline. I do not wish to take another beta at this time," she said stoically. "Apacci is heavy with young right now, and I sense Franceska's heat approaching."

Grimmjow nodded, wandering down the halls until he found Nnoitra practically…well no, he was actually fucking Tesla against the wall outside one of the gardens.

"Hey, you want to try and claim Aizen's pet?" he asked. Nnoitra looked over at him, not even pausing as he bounced Tesla's head into the wall.

"Sure."

"Octavo's lab, he's setting shit up, so bust yer nut and get over there," he said and wandered away. He snickered as he heard Tesla let out a near scream and a few seconds later Nnoitra caught up to him tying his obi.

"What? Just figured I'd walk along. Tesla's gonna be fucking sleeping for an hour after that fucking," he said with a smirk. "Little bitch isn't even in heat, but he's always fucking horny."

"And you aren't?" Grimmjow muttered as the got to Primera's door. He knocked and Lilynette answered.

"The fuck you want?" she growled.

"Tell Starrk that Octavo's trying to save Aizen's pet. Need some alphas involved to try and claim him. Tell him to get his lazy ass up and come down to the lab," he said and wandered away with Nnoitra.

"So what the fuck is this anyway?" Nnoitra asked as he wandered down to the lab with him. "What about Segunda?"

Grimmjow groaned. "Fuck, forgot that bastard, he's around here," he muttered as they walked down to his castle. He knocked on the door again.

"What is it?" came the growling voice of Estrella. She glared at Nnoitra. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Peace, octopussy," he muttered and looked away. "Ain't here for trouble. Just tagging along with this bastard."

She growled at him then looked at Grimmjow. "What is it?"

"Segunda sober?" he asked with a sigh. He swore, that guy spent more time in a bottle than anywhere else.

"Somewhat."

"Well, we're trying to save the Shinigami brat. So all us Espada alphas are going down to see if he wants any of us. Thought I'd let him know, so he could come give it a shot."

"Alright, I'll send him. Szayelaporro's lab?" she asked.

"Yeah, got the rest, 'cept Novena, but he's not interested in fucking, and damn Zommari is one of his 'quests for enlightenment', in other words stoned off his ass and staring at the wall," he said with a shrug as the turned.

Nnoitra stuck his tongue out at her but she noted that there was far less condensation in his tone today. Interesting, she thought as she went in to try and wake Jatya up.

Grimmjow got to the lab with Nnoitra to find Ulquiorra and Starrk waiting already. He looked around. "Excited at the prospect of fucking Aizen's toy, are we?" he muttered.

"It intrigues me," Ulquiorra said as he stared at him.

Starrk only yawned. "Lilynette said to come here so I did. Is that what is happening?"

"I told you…" they heard Estrella say as she escorted the Segunda Espada into the room. She glanced about. "Here. Deal with him. I'm done for the day," she muttered and stormed out.

Jatya stared around at them, and they could see he was slightly inebriated still. He was an interesting looking Arrancar, one of the later ones that Aizen had used the hogyuku on, specifically to replace Barragan in power. He was tall and generally handsome looking, lean and lanky with a pair of tusks near his mouth, and deep colored skin. His eyes were vibrant and blue. Granted, at the moment they were bloodshot and rheumy looking. He had a strange looking crown on his head that was perhaps the most attracting feature that he held, though his long black hair was tied back at the base of his neck.

"Fancy you showing up," Szayelaporro said with a snort.

"Estrella said I was needed," he said with a sigh.

"Okay, so is Zommari showing up?" Szayelaporro asked as he looked around.

Grimmjow shook his head. "You know him and his attempt to reach his enlightenment and shit. It's a wonder he comes out to go to meetings."

"Shall we get this started?" Szayelaporro said as he looked around.

"How…exactly…do we do this?" Grimmjow asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at him.

Szayelaporro led them into a large room and pulled the door shut. "Since there's more than one of us, the most expeditious way of distributing the substance is gaseous form. You should feel nothing, to be honest. But, whenever we come into the room where Aizen and the beta are, things should become quite…feral."

He leaned over and pulled down a lever. There was a hissing sound as a cloud of vapor fell around them. Grimmjow and Starrk's sensitive noses picked up the smell in the mist. It wasn't strong, and honestly, only they picked up on it. After a few minutes of standing around the hissing stopped and Szayelaporro nodded. "Alright, now, I've had Aizen take him to one of the larger areas with some space. After all, we've got the six of us. Here's hoping he takes at least one of us along the way."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo was seated on the sofa in the room. It wasn't a place he'd been before, but Aizen was there and he was okay with that. He looked up as the door opened again and a wafting group of smells hit him full force. He whined low and jumped up and ran to Aizen, grabbing him and burying his face in his shoulder.

"Master…" he groaned and Aizen grinned. He slid a hand down his front of found him aroused and dripping wet already. "Hot…"

"Seems it worked, Octavo," Aizen said as he saw six of his Espada had come to help in this. Szayel was staring at where Ichigo squirmed against Aizen uncomfortably.

"Yeah, the smell…" Grimmjow said as he stared at him, unable to control his own body's reaction. "I mean, I smelled it before, I just thought it was his smell…but its…so sweet…"

Ichigo heard Grimmjow's voice and looked up. "Grimmy," he muttered and slipped off Aizen's lap to the floor. He looked at him then crawled on hands and knees toward him slowly. "Grimmy," he said again as Grimmjow knelt in front of him. Grimmjow reached out and cupped his face and Ichigo nuzzled into his hand with a near purr in his throat. He licked at Grimmjow's hand for a second before looking up at him. He looked beside him where Ulquiorra was standing, and despite himself, Ulquiorra couldn't stop himself from knelling beside Grimmjow and offering his own hand to Ichigo. Again he seemed to smell at him, then licked thoughtfully at his hand, as though tasting him. "Ulquie," he muttered and crawled closer to him, head butting him with a grin.

"Two acceptable," Aizen said as he watched him move toward Starrk now. "That is better than I had hoped…" he muttered as he smiled to himself. It might work after all. His biggest fear had been Ichigo would reject them all.

Ichigo seemed to be completely enraptured now with Starrk, who knelt down now. Ichigo practically face planted into his crotch. "Puppy," he muttered as Starrk put both hands down and pulled his face upward, receiving the cursory licks from him in response. "Smells nice," he muttered and seemed to follow his nose toward where Nnoitra was standing with Szayel.

"Nnoi…" Ichigo muttered now and moved toward him now. He knelt and Szayel knelt beside him as the both reached for him instinctually. Nnoitra remembered this from before he became an Arrancar, the ritual of acknowledgement and acceptance of potential alphas. The act was somewhat symbolic, the beta taking in the alpha's smell first, then confirming it by tasting their scent gland. In the bipedal Arrancar it seemed that was the wrist and hand area. It might have also been in the neck, but Ichigo was in the extremely submissive positon at the moment, due to the overpowering release from the six of them. If he had been turned into an Arrancar already by the hogyuku, he would have perhaps been capable of carrying young, but he was not quite that hollow…yet.

Ichigo sniffed at his hand then licked a stripe up Nnoitra's palm with a purring sound. He looked at Szayel and his eyes were almost drunk looking. No doubt the pheromones he was under were causing a lot of it. He nuzzled into his long fingered hand and smiled. "Szay…" he muttered and turned enough to lick across his inner wrist. Szayel felt the throbbing throughout his body that he had not sensed in a very long time.

Then, the strangest event happened so far. He turned to Jatya and he let out a sound that was somewhere between a screech and a whimper. Jatya, at the same time was staring, eyes wide and frozen in place.

"Hmm, no…not…" Ichigo said trying to back away from him. "No, no…"

Grimmjow moved then putting his hands on Ichigo's shoulders as he sat back. "Ichigo, what is it?"

"He…was there…but I can't…I have to…" he whined.

Grimmjow glanced at Aizen and back at the frozen Jatya. "The crazy researcher…you were with him, I remember you saying that he'd done things to you before you got back here where Aizen-sama found you…" he whispered. "You were one of the ones he put into the cage during his experiemtns with Ichigo."

"I…he did so many things…then before he…he did the worst things…he said I had to go in there…and I couldn't stop myself…it just…whatever he did…" Jatya whispered as he stepped forward. "Just reject me, please," he whispered as he knelt and gave Ichigo his hand.

Ichigo flinched, nearly falling, saved by Grimmjow holding him up from behind. "No, I have…to…"

It took a moment but soon, the instincts overpowered Ichigo's fear and he pressed against Jatya's hand with his face, breathing in his scent of fragrant spice and rushing water. He couldn't stop himself from licking across his wrist with a rumbling purr in his throat. Jatya jerked back like shocked at the fact he'd accepted him.

Aizen stood up then and came over. "Grimmjow," he said. "Stay with him. The others will overwhelm him if they stay. Bring him to me when you've claimed him, we shall go from there," Aizen said with a nod and led the others from the room.

"Wait, but…" he started to say that Starrk should be first, as Primera, but it seemed that Ichigo had made his choice of him as his first alpha.

"Grimmy," he muttered and turned and threw both arms around Grimmjow's shoulders. "So hot," he muttered. "Too hot…"

"I know, Ichi, I know," he said and picked him up carefully. Ichigo's legs wrapped around him and his face was buried in the crook of his neck. He shifted him and slid his hands under his ass and took him to the small bedroom in this larger suite. He dropped him but before he could think, Ichigo had sprung up and grabbed his hakama and was pulling them off rapidly. Grimmjow smirked and stilled his hands.

"Hang on," he said and saw the desperation in his eyes, the primal need, and he realized, he knew. "You know if you don't do this you're gonna die, don't ya?"

"I feel it," he said, sitting uncomfortably for a second and shrugging out of his jacket and kusodo quickly. "The poison, it rains and storms and its going to end the rain, turning it to blood…" He panted undoing his obi with fumbling fingers. "Hot, so hot," he muttered as he managed to get out of all of them. "Make it go away," he moaned as he reached between his legs and started fingering himself desperately. "Hot…"

"Oh hell," Grimmjow said and in one move had him on his back, legs pressed to his chest. He'd wanted to go slow, but seeing him like that… He gasped as he thrust down into him, sliding easily. "Fuck, it's wet…" he gasped. "Fucking wet…beta…yeah…" he muttered. "Didn't expect that," he gasped. He knew that he was more hollow than they thought, but the fact that this much had been possible by his hollow.

Ichigo made and a strange sound, like a gurgle and Grimmjow's head snapped to see eyes staring at him. But they weren't Ichigo's. They were black and gold. "What the fuck…" he muttered.

"Trying…" the strange higher pitched voice said. "Trying…not…to die…hurry…killing me…" and then Ichigo blinked and his eyes were back to brown and blown wide with lust.

"Grimmy, please…" he muttered and arched. Grimmjow nodded and began working into him deep and fast, reaching down and sliding his hand up and down Ichigo's dripping length. He moaned loudly as he brought him over quickly, his own end slamming into him with a force he hadn't felt since his days as an adjunca. He bit down and reached down into himself to pull up the claiming. He deftly flipped Ichigo to his belly and kept himself buried inside him as he emptied. He licked the back of his neck and bit down. When he did, he felt Ichigo orgasm again, and he felt himself reach the second peak as this time, a burst of spiritual pressure ballooned out from them and slammed back in a breath. He tumbled down beside him, instincts driving him to pull Ichigo into his arms and protect him after the claiming was done. He fumbled for covers and pulled them over Ichigo's shivering form.

He nuzzled into him, feeling the purr erupt from his own throat as he licked languidly at the claiming bite. If this continued, and he mated all the others, he'd be marked by all six of them. As strange as that sounded, Grimmjow remembered that the strongest betas required more than one alpha, else their spiritual power wasn't dampened, and they might go mad from it.

He felt Ichigo hiccup and he reached around and saw that he was weeping. "Ichi?" he asked and turned him around to face him.

"I can't…I can't…it's not gone," he wept and Grimmjow understood. He'd helped some, but it wasn't enough yet.

"I know, babe. I know, but I'm not the only one here that's going to take care of you," he whispered as he found himself kissing his head. "We're going to take care of you, okay? All of us. I promise."

Ichigo's shaking soon subsided as he slipped into a restless sleep. Grimmjow found himself clutching him most of the time he slept, just wanting him to be okay.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"It worked, partially," Szayelaporro said as he looked over the readings. Aizen stood beside him and nodded.

"Partially?"

"Yes, Grimmjow's pressure was able to overpower some of this foreign reiatsu. His was done properly, through a claiming, the mark and all. Now, the problem is, it has set there, festering and poisoning him for a long time. His madness is making it worse," he said with a sigh.

"So it will take another claiming by Grimmjow?" he asked.

"No, Grimmjow can only claim him once. It has to be someone else," he said with a sigh. "I'm afraid…it might take all of us to get rid of this completely. And then…I'm not sure."

Ichigo was sitting on the floor with a red pencil of some sort and a sheet of paper. Szayeloporra had found that there were a few things he could give Ichigo to encourage him to "behave" during his visits. Sweets of any kind, especially chocolate, were sure thing, and another was any form of red colored writing implement. He looked up, his eyes flickering between them and got up, sniffing the air. "Hmm, tears…" he whispered and walked toward the door.

"Cuarta," Szayelaporro said. "He must be nearby."

Aizen nodded and followed as Ichigo walked down the paths until they came to one of the gardens where Ulquiorra was sitting in the grass. Aizen realized that as soon as Ichigo came in, he started stripping off his jacket and kusodo, dropping them behind him. Ulquiorra looked up and even Aizen saw the sudden dilation of his eyes. He nodded.

"I'll leave him with you, Cuarta," he said and left the garden.

Ichigo undid the obi and stepped out of his pants and dropped to his knees in front of Ulquiorra. "Ulquie…please…it's hot…and it's not gone, help me make it go away…" he muttered.

Ulquiorra had never experienced such a rush of emotion. He was stripping his pants before another second had passed. He dropped to sit on the floor cross-legged and he pulled Ichigo down onto his lap. He adjusted and slid easily inside him. He was slightly surprised at the dampness and ease, but he supposed his body was made for this. He wasn't exaggerating either, his body was hot, almost feverish. Ichigo was covered with a full body blush it seemed and Ulquiorra gasped as he held him onto his thin lap and began rocking upward into him. Ichigo clasped his legs around behind his hips and held onto his shoulders. Ulquiorra wrapped his hands around the small of Ichiog's back and thrust upward in such a fervor that he was surprised that Ichigo was lasting. Ulquiorra felt the end rushing toward them. This wasn't a long, sensual encounter, no this was a hard fucking to get through the moment. Neither of them had any desire to make this last longer than necessary. Ulquiorra gasped as he felt Ichigo's orgasm hit him, his own seconds behind. He growled and leaned over and bit down into Ichigo's neck. The claiming hit him harder than the orgasm, slamming through him and bursting outward in an outpouring of power. A few minutes later, Ulquiorra sat quietly with Ichigo still in his lap, bodies still joined, and rocking him as he came down.

"Not gone," Ichigo gasped and Ulquiorra felt the tears wetting his kusodo.

"Shhh," he said, surprising himself. "We will help you, I promise that," he said as he hugged him close and licked the second claiming mark, his own.

Ulquiorra had no idea what was happening. But as he put Ichigo down while he dressed himself, then Ichigo, he meant those words. Ichigo was asleep now, and he headed back to his castle with him to rest. He wanted him to be happy. And if possible, he wanted him to carry his young one day. So he would treat him as a treasure.

That's what a beta was, after all. A treasured creature that should be adored by all who claimed him. And protected at all costs. Even from meddling Shinigami.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"It's working," Shiro said as he looked out into the waters that surrounded their bubble of safety.

Zangetsu nodded. "Yes, see, the blue and green energy is destroying the poisoning energies. It isn't enough, yet. It would not have worked if you hadn't activated the hollow heat."

"I know, but I don't have to like it. King don't deserve to have any of this shit happen, but I'll do what I have to do to save him," he muttered and sat down, picking up the photo again.

"What will you do when you can talk to him again?" Zangetsu asked.

"That I fucking love him. That's all. I love him more than I can ever say. He is my everything, my King, my love. There is nothing but him, to me anyways," he said with a sigh.

Zangetsu nodded. "Make sure you tell him that. He is our world, of course," he said with a sigh.

Shiro touched the faces in the pictures. "How could they betray him?"

"People are sometimes blinded to the truth when emotion gets in the way."

"That doesn't make fucking sense. King did everything for them. Everything. And in the end, all it took was one person to destroy everything we were and could have been. He's never going to recover, not fully. And he's going to turn him into an Arrancar," Shiro said with a sigh. "Once all that is fixed, you know that's what he's going to do. He'll use the hogyuku and I don't know what happens to us."

"I know, but I do not feel we will be lost. I simply feel that we will become closer to Ichigo than we have ever been. When the hogyuku touches us, it will react to what we are, what we want, and what Ichigo wants. No matter the madness that infects him, Ichigo cannot change who he is. It will not happen. There is no possible way that the hogyuku will not recognize this."

Shiro nodded. "I'm scared though," he said as a crack of lightning nearly split the bubble. The black ichor slid down the outside. "I don't know what to do about his madness."

"First we must survive, then we might heal his madness."

Shiro nodded. It was the only way.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Present

[Year 11, Month 6, Day 3]

Rukia was woken up by yelling. She sat up and looked around blearily as the huge Arrancar that had captured them came over, two struggling black clad bodies over his shoulders facing behind him. He came over and looked down at Rukia and the others.

"They are yours," he said in a deep, reverberating voice as he flopped the two Shinigami onto the mat and turned and left. Rukia realized it was Hisagi and Kira. They looked somewhat stunned and were looking around at the others.

Renji was sitting against the wall, cleaning Zabimaru, and Uryu had gone off with one of the other Arrancar to talk about archery. Chad was helping a child Arrancar put together some sort of puzzle a little ways from where she had been sleeping. Orihime had been helping them.

"Kira-kun!" she said and came over to them. "And Hisagi-kun!"

"What…the hell…" Hisagi said as he stood up.

"Let me explain," Rukia said with a smile. "These are…um…I guess you could say free Arrancar? They're all sorts here, and they made this city. They're pretty mistrustful of Shinigami as well as Aizen's people. Some of them escaped from him," she said as she heard someone shout. The all turned to see an Arrancar come literally waddling from one of the adjacent curtained areas followed by Imelda.

"Dima! You get back here and lay down!" she said as he waddled over toward where the Shinigami were staying.

"I want to walk around, Imelda! I'm pregnant, not dying!" he growled at her. He looked to see he had a rapt audience. "What? You've never seen a pregnant person before!" he snapped.

Rukia walked up carefully. "I'm sorry, it is just where we're from, males cannot bear children, and it is surprising." The others approached with her.

Dima brushed a hand over his reddish gold hair and flipped it over his shoulder. "Well, that's ridiculous," he said. "Why wouldn't they?"

Imelda sighed. "Dima, you know that the rules are different with the Shinigami, now please, you're going to have the children soon…"

"And that's wonderful, this is misery!" he said, laying a hand over his forehead near his mask fragment that appeared to look like a headband. "To not be able to run and zip around, this is walking death for me!"

Imelda sighed. "You are so dramatic. You haven't been pregnant forever."

"Feels that way!" he groused as he pulled at the loose gown he was wearing. "Though I do like the pretty gowns. I'd rather be running through the sands!"

"I'm confused," Kira said.

Imelda smiled. "I'm Imelda, this is my mated beta, Dima. He's due with the young within days, and he is very stubborn and will not remain resting."

"I'm rested out!" he snapped, crossing his thin arms over his chest. "You would have to be powerful enough to give me two."

"I know, and I'm sorry," she said with a sigh.

"I…males get pregnant here?" Hisagi asked with wide eyes.

Imelda smiled softly. "Let me get Dima back to bed, I can alreasdy tell his energy is waning," she said and smiled at the grumpy Arrancar.

"If that werne't true, I'd stay right here," he muttered as Imelda led him back into the curtained area. A few second later they heard light snoring.

Imelda came back and smiled. "You seem surprised, and I spoke some of this to your friends yesterday, but I suppose a full explanation might help matters, as soon Dima will have our young, and I believe that there are more than a couple in heat right now. As you have seen, they don't much care where they go at it."

She motioned them back into the area they'd been in and sat down. The Shinigami and Orihime and Chad sat down to listen. "You see, Arrancar, all hollows, really, are creatures of instinct. We have animals inside us, and those animals are part of what makes use act like this. Unlike others, we are collections of souls, consumed over and over as we evolve. Now, when we evolve, either naturally, or artificially like the Shinigami Aizen has done, those instincts are dampened, and if we desire, we can suppress them. This is why the Espada up in Las Noches do not have problems, to I would assume they are all alphas anyway. Alphas are the dominant of us. Betas are the submissives. Only Betas my carry young."

"How can you carry young? You just said you're collections of souls?" Kira asked, extremely curious now.

"We do not make life, we simply give shape to a soul within us. So in essence, Dima is carrying two souls that I have passed into him via my claiming of him. The gender of an Arrancar doesn't matter, only alpha or beta," she said with a gentle smile.

"But…males aren't equipped with…um…birth things…" Hisagi said.

"Neither are female hollows. Our outside shape appears to be the gender we present, however, internally, there is no mechanism for having children as humans or even Shinigami do. Our young grow in a chamber of reiatsu, the spiritual pressure making a place for the young to incubate. When it is time to birth them, the beta's spiritual energy creates a birth canal of sorts that allows the young to exit into the world. Some more primitive hollows have to cut themselves open to retrieve the young, but more advanced hollows do not have to do this," she said with a smile.

"So two females or two males can have babies?" Orihime said with a smile.

"Indeed, they can," Imelda said with a smile. She was about to continue when there was a wail and she sighed. "Andresta," she muttered and looked up in time for the hyena Arrancar to throw himself prostrate at her feet.

"Imelda! Kill me, I do not deserve to live," he wailed.

"What happened?" she asked as she patted the back of his head. She looked up to see Zeboim following him with an annoyed expression.

"He had another flashback while he slept. It must have been a terrible one, he has been impossible to calm. I wanted him to go to medical but he insisted on seeing you," he said as he leaned against a pillar nearby.

"Andresta, you are fine, safe, and so is everyone else…" she said gently.

"No, I was there again, in the cage and there was blood and screaming and I just want to die before I see what I did again!" he said, not lifting his head.

"Andresta. Stop this. Your death will not erase what has happened."

"What happened?" Kira asked with a frown.

Andresta looked up sharply. "What happened? What happened, you ask?" he said and crawled over to Kira and snarled at him. "Your crazy researcher Shinigami is what happened! I can't sleep without dreaming about what he did to me…what he made me do! What I did to that poor beta…" he wailed. "The precious, precious beta…" he whispered and sat back on his heels. "So precious…"

"Andresta. He is up in Las Noches, and you know it. He is not dead," Imelda said.

"He may as well be! After what I…what we…" he choked and started sobbing into his hands.

"I don't understand," Hisagi said. "Something Kurotsuchi-taichou did?"

Rukia nodded. "Andresta was one of Kurotsuchi-taichou's hollow test subjects. He…he tried to use them to research the hollow mating practices. He…he didn't know how it worked thought. And he did something really bad."

"Really unmentionable," Zeboim said with a shake of his head. "A powerful beta kills any alphas that dare approach them that are not powerful enough. An alpha's reiatsu must overpower a beta's in order to make a proper claim. If an alpha that is not powerful enough is mated with a beta, it causes some extremely bad things. It eventually kills the beta because the weaker alpha's reiatsu just remains in their spirit, slowly poisoning them."

"So he put you in with a more powerful beta?" Kira asked.

"He did, and now he's up in Las Noches, and he's seen me, and he was so scared and I thought he was going to attack me, but he couldn't because I claimed him, even though he should have killed me…the instincts are all wrong and he is so precious and beautiful…and I could only dream of claiming such a lovely beta…" he moaned.

"Yeah, well, he's sort of crazy now," Zeboim said with a sigh. "Your reiatsu didn't help that, I'd imagine. Though I'd imagine being repeatedly mated by hollows that he should have killed was part of why he lost his mind like that. The Espada, though, I know they are trying to help him. I've felt their release of reiatsu several times over the last few months."

"Wait, what?" Rukia asked, looking at Zeboim.

"Yes," Imelda said. "If a beta is somehow incapacity, allowing a weaker alpha to claim them, like the one that Andresta took wrongfully, and the reiatsu begins to poison them, it can be…dissipated or replaced, but a stronger alpha's reiatsu. It takes a claiming or two to do it, if not more than two, depending on how deep the poisoning goes in the beta."

"So the Espada…they've…to him?" Rukia asked with wide eyes.

"What did you expect them to do with a powerful beta in their midst?" Zeboim asked. "Unless your traitor Shinigami wanted him to die, they had little choice. It was your researcher that did this, not any of us. Remember that," he added and sighed. "Andresta, let's go to medical. Zadie will see to you again," he said and drug the other Arrancar to his feet.

Kira and Hisagi exchanged a glance. "I don't understand, who is he talking about?" Hisagi asked, fearing the answer.

Rukia sighed. "Who do you think? Who did Kurotsuchi-taichou have access to that he could do any experiment he wanted to do with none of us saying a word?" she said bitterly and walked away from them to the corner.

"Wait, he did what?" Hisagi said.

Renji looked at him. "He's completely mad, Hisagi. Completely. We ran into him, before the Arrancar here found us. He fights like a possessed creature. He…he let me stab him through the shoulder just so I'd run my Zanpakutō into Rukia. Then he giggled about it, and he was calling Aizen his Master…" he said quietly. "As much as I want to hate Aizen," he said as he crossed his arms. "I…I hate myself more. We asked…what he'd done to him…and Aizen said he hadn't done anything except try to fix him…" Renji bit his lip. "And after what I saw, I believe him."


	6. When Healing Begins

Chapter Six

When Healing Begins

[Year 11, Month 3, Day 19]

Aizen held Ichigo in his lap as he sat against the head of his lush bed and looked out over into the room. He was restless, tossing and turning, and muttering things that were disturbing, to say the least. Even Aizen was hard pressed not to be bothered by some of the things that came from Ichigo during his less lucid times. It was so strange for Aizen, though. He threaded his fingers through the long strands of hair and found himself smiling at it. Such strength wrapped in fragility. There was a poetic nature to the idea that such a powerful creature could only be brought low by his own loved ones. He hummed to himself and was thoughtful until he shifted in his lap.

"Water pours," Ichigo muttered and opened his eyes suddenly locking eyes with Aizen.

Aizen saw that he wasn't lucid at all. His eyes were unfocused and flickering around his face. He sighed and felt him shudder in his hands. "Water…it pours down inside, and I can't stop it…" he said as he crawled up and straddled Aizen's lap suddenly.

"Water?" Aizen asked with a slight frown as he adjusted him so his legs were fully supported Ichigo's weight.

During his sleeping, he'd become wrapped up in a sheet and now it drooped off one bare shoulder and Aizen could see the first of the claiming marks. He moved his fingers up and touched the wound gently. Ichigo's breath stilled and he held it for a moment. He blinked and looked at Aizen for a second before Aizen realized he was crying.

"Ichigo?" he asked, putting a hand against his face. Ichigo turned into it and licked across his palm.

"I want you to claim me…" he said morosely. "Master…you love me? Right?" he asked, eyes flickering still.

Aizen reached up with his other hand and gripped both sides of Ichigo's face. "Oh, my dear, of course."

And to his surprise, Aizen realized that he wasn't lying. He cares about what happened to him now. At first, it had been a power play. It had been simple. A way to gain power, but somehow, it was changing. He felt complete with Ichigo near him, and his pain genuinely distressed him. He'd never thought this could happen. Ichigo was a vehicle, much the same as Momo and Toshiro and Ukitake… He realized with startling clarity that in the last few weeks his thoughts had been centered on Ichigo and Ichigo alone.

"My dear, what do you mean that you want me to claim you? We've been together already," he said as he brushed one hand over his head.

"Like this," he said and pointed to the mark. "Like this, not like…I need this!" he exclaimed and scrambled off the bed.

Ichigo was suddenly frantic as he wrestled free of the sheet and ran to the mirror that was nearby. He lifted his eyes and locked onto his reflection.

"Who are you?" he whispered to it.

He flinched when Aizen put hands on his shoulders. "It is just you," he answered him.

"It's not, that's not…not…who am I now?" he gasped out, eyes roving his body.

The claiming marks were stark in contrast to his pallid skin. It wasn't the color of Shiro's skin, but it was a lot closer than it had been before. He reached up and ran his fingers down his cheeks, fingers shaking. He wanted to digs his nails into the flesh. He wanted to make the blood pour down like tears. It was all the same. Tears and water and blood…all was life, and he was dying…

"Ichigo," Aizen said and ran his hands up the outside of Ichigo's bare arms. "These, these are your arms, they are strong and the will wield your Zanpakutō again, and you will be stronger than you ever have been.

Ichigo shivered at the touch as he moved his fingers around to his stomach. He ran his hands up the flat plane of his belly and over his protruding ribs. It was a mass of scar tissue, more pinkish than skin colored for the most part. "And this, Ichigo, this is your upper body, and inside it, you have such strength and stamina," Aizen whispered. He ran fingers up to his pectoral muscles and traced the lines up too his collarbone. "You will stand and fight, and here," he continued and ran his hands down to his chest. "Here is the heart that no matter what happens, even I cannot turn in a direction you don't wish to go."

Ichigo was shivering from his touching him and what he was saying. Aizen's hands moved down and rested on his hips. "This is your lower body." Ichigo winced as his hands moved down the crease of his pelvis and hips. "This carries you and is the seat of your passions, your fire comes from here, and it is that that fuels your desires," he said, hands carefully sliding down outside his thighs now.

"And here are your legs, that move with speed and grace and that will never change. You move and stand and between all these parts, you are who you have always been. Nothing has changed. You are the same person you have always been; it is simply clouded."

Aizen ran his hands around and up the front of his hipbones, up his sides and around to his back. He slid them up to his neck and leaned closer as he placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "But importantly, here is your beautiful and amazing mind."

"It isn't beautiful, or amazing." Ichigo turned to look at Aizen. "It's messed up and screwy, and I can't think straight, and I can't even think about what has happened, and I can't tell you…" Aizen saw he was getting frustrated. "I can't…I can't even tell you…that…I can't!"

"Ah, my dear, don't. It will take time, but we will find a way to help you."

"How?" he begged, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "How…how do you undo…this fucked up thing I've become…" he said and looked away from him.

"I will not undo what you have become," he said and tilted his head upward to look at him. "What you have endured is part of you and cannot be undone. Instead I will help you get through it and survive it. That's what must happen," he said with definitive nod.

Ichigo's eyes began to blink rapidly and Aizen knew he was phasing out of lucidity. "Shiro says that I should just go die because I am nothing but a worthless whore."

"You should not listen to that Shiro, he is not the real one. You told me your Spirits loved you and would not say such things."

"But…I just…and I'm so hot," he muttered and wrapped his arms around Aizen and panted into his kusodo. "Hot, can't…this…fire burns away the water and the blood just starts to spray out from the open wounds…" he said seriously and looked up at Aizen with wide eyes. "I can see them, when I get hot…the one with four legs…the one with the tusks…I see them when I get hot…their faces and how horrible and I screamed so much, and…"

"Shh, I think we need to find another one of the Espada, my dear. Who would you like see now?"

Ichigo, though, had completely lost purchase on the reality around him as he started to wander toward the door, still stark naked. Aizen grabbed a yukata and manipulated his arms into it before he stepped out into the hallway. He had started chewing on his thumbnail and looking around him. Even Aizen could smell the smell he exuded. It was somewhat sweet, unlike what Ichigo described from the Espada. It wasn't musky or floral, it was simply…a sweet smell. Aizen wondered if the others could smell something more than that.

"Something…shut up Shiro, I know that…" he muttered as he wandered the hallways as Aizen walked behind him. He watched as he growled at a couple of Arrancar that passed him. They glanced at Ichigo oddly then moved on. Ichigo was constantly talking to his voices as he moved. He stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway and looked around him.

"He's nearby," he muttered and Aizen realized the smell was growing in intensity.

"What the hell…" he heard and looked down the hall to see one of the doors open and Nnoitra stick his head out and lock eyes with Ichigo. "Oh…" he muttered and felt his mouth flood with saliva and all his blood rush with a dizzying sensation to his cock.

Ichigo teetered beside Aizen for a second before he walked slowly toward him. Nnoitra smiled, revealing his wide piano toothed smile. "I got him, Aizen-sama. I plan to fuck his stupid before I'm done with him," he muttered and snatched Ichigo up into his arm. He already felt him nearly purring in his throat.

"See that he gets back to our room," Aizen said as he walked away. He paused again, shaking his head at the strange sensation in his chest. He opened his kusodo and looked down at the hogyuku, realizing that it felt…different. He shook it away. It still did his bidding, and created new Arrancar for him, that was all that mattered. At least, that's what he thought.

Nnoitra had been in the middle of sparring with a couple new Arrancar, fully released, of course. He looked at the ones watching him from their positions around the practice room. "Get the fuck out," he said and they scattered, already feeling Nnoitra's pulsing reiatsu.

Ichigo was squirming in his arms and he put him on his feet, holding him up with two hands while he stripped him with another pair. He growled under his breath. He hadn't felt this in so long. To be honest, he kind of had missed the full heats that the lower Arrancar had. Sure, Tesla had heats and could bear young, but they weren't like this. And young were rarely a result. This, though, this was the primal urges that they had tried to give up.

He ran another set of his hands up and down Ichigo's sides, one pausing at his cock and stroking him. "You are a randy little fucker, aren't you," he muttered as he locked eyes with the clouded ones in front of him.

"Please, Nnoi…hot. I'm so hot, and its flooding me, and I have to stop it…" he gasped out as Nnoitra moved, turning him to face away from him and holding him suspended with two of his hands while he began stroking him with one in the front.

A fourth hand slipped down and three fingers slipped easily into him. It was nearly as wet as…a heating beta. He swallowed. Not even Tesla got this wet in his heat. It must have had something to do with Szayelaporro's meddling. He ripped open his pants and couldn't wait a second longer. He shifted Ichigo and slammed upward into him, using two hands to hold him up by his thighs, and two to hold onto his upper body, while the others were busy teasing nipples and cock at the same time. He let out a very inhuman scream, almost a hollow call.

"Oh, you like that, huh?" Nnoitra asked as he used his arms to slide him up and down slowly on him.

"Ah…you're…so deep inside…" Ichigo whined out, hands clutching desperately at Nnoitra's shoulders behind him. He was significantly longer than the others had been. Grimmjow beat him in girth, as did Ulquiorra, but Nnoitra was long and lanky. He seemed to be at the right position to rub incessantly against his prostate. "Ah, it's coming fast this time," he whimpered as an intense orgasm slammed into him. Nnoitra gasped as his own orgasm was pulled from him with a great deal of surprise.

"Holy fuck," he groaned as he realized he was hard again without even moving out of his slick hole. "Ah, first round, always fast, Ichi-baby," he muttered as he bucked upward to get to the claiming. He leaned in and licked at his neck gently beside one of the other marks and bit down as he felt Ichigo slide down over the edge again, harder this time, and he released inside him with a blast of reiatsu.

Nnoitra, though he had never had the inclination to care for his betas afterward, found himself wrapping him up in all six of his arms and holding him tightly to his chest as he dropped into his bed with him. He felt something strange in his chest, though. Then, the anger began to rise. How could those bastards in Soul Society have possibly done this to him? How? He intended to rip whatever Shinigami he came across first into tiny pieces, and then he'd shove those pieces down the throat of the next one he saw…

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Aizen looked up from the book he was reading as he felt the pulsing reiatsu. He wondered if it had been enough. Somehow he doubted, it though. There had been too many foreign reiatsu signatures. He sighed and put the book down. He looked up as Jatya came into the room, looking worried and upset.

"Segunda," he said with a smile. "Is there something you require?"

"Aizen-sama, um, I can't…can't claim that beta…I mean…I already did…before you made me more powerful, so I doubt it will help if I did claim him," he mumbled and looked at the floor as he spoke.

"Segunda, you will do as you are ordered. He has chosen you. I must clear him of the foreign reiatsu before I use the hogyuku on him. You will complete the claiming just as the others have and will," Aizen said with a sigh as he picked up his book.

Jatya sighed and headed back to his castle, infinitely worried that he would end up having to claim the beta. He couldn't even think his name. All he could see was that scared creature trapped in a cage with him in the beastly form he had as an adjunca. He bit down on his lip and relished his human features, but he hadn't had them when he saw the beta before. He'd been more animal than anything. Some of them didn't remember what happened before they became Arrancar. Jatya remembered everything in incredible clarity.

He went into the room and grabbed a bottle of the distilled liquor that came from one of Alma's mushrooms when it was fermented. It was the strongest he had, and as he knocked back a glass and the just swigged from the bottle, he knew he was going to need more.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 3, Day 20]

Nnoitra woke with Ichigo entwined in his multiple arms. He let his release mode go and sat up. He heard Ichigo mumbling and he sat up and looked at him. "Still…still, raining, blooding, it's killing me…" he said as he got up, stark naked again as he headed for the door.

"Whoa, wait a minute, you need to put on this," he said, grabbing the yukata. As he wrestled the body into the robe he thought to himself, why did he care if he was naked or not? What did it matter? It did matter, though, and as he followed him out into the halls of Las Noches again, he realized the extent of that thought.

He nearly ran into Estrella as they passed Segunda's castle entrance. Ichigo stopped and looked through her into the doorway. He moved toward it and then pushed it open, following the scent that was luring him, fragrant spices and something else…

Ichigo came into a large open room where the Segunda Espada was sitting on a sofa with a bottle in his hand. He looked up and stood up suddenly. "What…what are you…" he gasped out.

"He came to you, Segunda. Take him back to Aizen when yer done with him," Nnoitra said and walked out past Estrella who stood staring in the doorway. She watched him go, seeing that he didn't bother insulting her like usual.

Ichigo was shaking, though. Even though he was following pure instinct, and the hollow drives could not be resisted no matter if he had his full mind or not, he was afraid and his mind was spiraling to the monstrous creature that Jatya had once been. Estrella sighed and smiled at Jatya softly.

"Take care, Jatya. I'll be outside if you need me," she said and left quickly, already feeling the rising levels of power coming from the Segunda.

Jatya stood staring for a long time at the trembling Shinigami before him. He felt the pulling instincts too, and he was going to have to answer them. Not doing so would drive him mad and might make it harder for the Shinigami to survive.

"I don't want to do this," Jatya said. "Not after…after what I did before…" he whispered and turned away, putting his bottle down on the table beside the sofa.

Ichigo moved toward him, lured and unable to stop it. This was an Arrancar, not the adjunca hollow that had nearly killed him in the cell. This wasn't a situation where he was powerless, either. He hadn't been drugged and unable to fight. He swallowed a thick ball at the back of his throat. It was strange, his most lucid times were when he was with one of the Espada like this, during the claiming. It seemed that answering the instincts quieted the rest of his unstable mind. If nothing else, he was glad of that fact. To be sane for a short time, even like this…

Even so, Ichigo grabbed the bottle and sucked down a long drink of the burning liquid. Jatya turned around and gasped, grabbing the bottle out of his hand. Ichigo blinked at him, and then the world was spinning madly. Everything blurred for a long time and when it cleared he was looking at the white ceiling and felt like he'd been sick.

Jatya had seen the strong drink hit him, and he very nearly passed out. He'd gotten him into the bath and tried to wake him, and then his body rejected the potent drink. After a quick washing for both, Jatya had put him in his bed. His own drunkenness had burned off during his worry over the beta.

"That was dangerous," Jatya said as he leaned over Ichigo and considered his eyes. As soon as he got close, though, Ichigo moaned and his hands reached for him. Jatya wanted to bat his hands away but he couldn't as he simply leaned down onto him, nuzzling into his neck as his body reacted to the beta.

"I'm so…so hot…please…I need…you to do this…" he whispered to him.

"You don't know what you ask," Jatya said softly as he crawled on top of the beta, hands running up the inside of his thighs. "You are a slave to the instincts that I am a slave to."

"No…" Ichigo muttered as he arched and felt the thrumming feelings run through him. "I'm clearer now than I have been…please…I know…it wasn't you…" he muttered and Jatya couldn't stand it anymore.

"Ah, I'm so sorry," he muttered as he lifted Ichigo's hips and slid down into the wet warmth. It was dripping around him and the bed under where Ichigo was lying was wet from the secretions. He groaned deeply as he held himself inside the beta.

It was different, though, to do this with a mind and not as a creature with no thought. He slid back and forth, stroking Ichigo's legs as he did so, watching as his cock disappeared inside a willing body below him. He flashed briefly to the horrific and bloody… No. That wasn't him, not anymore. He was an Arrancar now, not a mindless hollow. He stroked Ichigo as he thrust into him slowly and steadily until they both fell down the first crest. Jatya was still, letting the second wave come over him, and this time, gentleness was gone, and he slammed their bodies together with a fervor that came from claiming someone so powerful. He leaned down and found a space on his neck and bit down. The second his teeth pierced the flesh, Ichigo screamed out as he fell hard from the pleasurable crest. Jatya followed, his powerful reiatsu slamming into them with a near snapping sound.

Jatya fell to the side and allowed himself to answer the needs to care for the beta after the claiming. He shifted them away from the soaked sheets and pulled him into his arm. Ichigo looked up with eyes starting to cloud. "I forgive you," he whispered before his eyes fluttered and tears started to leak from his eyes… "But not enough…not enough…" he whispered as he fell into a deep sleep in Jatya's arms. Jatya bit down on his lip and pulled him close again and let sleep claim him.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Present

[Year 11, Month 6, Day 4]

"Imelda!" someone screamed and Rukia came awake with a start. She was curled against Renji who also jumped.

"What is it?" came the Arrancar's voice.

"The labor has started, hurry!" and then they heard a long low moan.

"Dammit Imelda!" Dima screamed. "I am never letting this happen again! I'm going to go hide the next time I go into heat!"

"It is fine, just relax," Imelda said.

The group got up and moved over toward where Imelda was behind the curtains with Dima. She looked up as they approached. "You can witness, if you like. I am sure this is very unlike the births that you are used to seeing. They are similar, as our forms attempt to mimic human shape and function."

"Stop instructing!" Dima snapped as he sat and rocked on the side of his bed. "While you're over there telling them what happens, I'm actually going through it!" he growled.

"He's a bit touchy because the first stage is beginning. The bodies of hollows don't always have instant regeneration; this is one exception. The spiritual energy begins to pool near the reiatsu chamber, and then it tears an opening from inside the body to the outside. That is where the young exit. However, the process is painful. There is very little blood loss, however, due to the regeneration that is triggered in all betas. That is a hallmark of most betas, as well," she said as she sat beside Dima and rubbed his back.

"What is a hallmark?" Renji asked as he watched with interest.

"Instant regeneration, idiot Shinigami!" Dima growled. "Most betas…have it to cope…with the birthing process…"

"Ichigo's hollow has instant regeneration…" Rukia said thoughtfully. "That…that makes sense."

"Your Shinigami is quite special. He is not only one with the instant regeneration, but a powerful beta as well. However, that has made his situation very difficult up there, as I've felt the reiatsu spikes of most of them. They could have other mates, however," Imelda said, trying to encourage the watching group.

"Spikes…when one of them claim him as a mate?" Uryū asked as he leaned against the poll the curtain hung from.

"Yes, it is a distinctly different type of reiatsu, made to announce to the world that the alpha has mated a beta, a warning, if you will, for others to stay away. Sort of a preening of sorts," Imelda said with a smile. "A mark of pride, as well as the transference of the soul for birthing. Of course, among lower hollows, it serves to ward their beta from any interlopers."

Dima jumped up and started chanting something quietly as he paced back and forth, using it to regulate his breathing. It was something about Incense and Peppermints. Orihime watched as Dima's reiatsu began to shift, and finally he growled.

"They're going to come," he said, panting as he dropped to his knees.

"Alright, just breath, I'll guide them," Imelda said. She placed both hands on Dima's belly.

"What are you doing?" Chad asked curiously from behind the others.

"Guiding them with my energy. Unlike living beings, there is no mechanism to push, so the alpha's job is the help them from the chamber through the birthing. A hollow alone during birthing often dies because of this," she said as a glow of her reiatsu encompassed Dima's belly.

"Ho…oh…wow…that…never again, Imelda," he gasped out as he returned to chanting the song. Renji moved forward and took one of his hands and then regretted it. Dima held it tightly and pushed down on it, seeking resistance as Imelda reached under to retrieve one of the squirming creatures that seemed to be already walking…

"Ah, no, little one, stay put," she said gently. She looked up at the surprised Shinigami. "They're born walking. Survival requires it," she added as the process was repeated. The little Arrancar had sat down and was sucking on his fingers. Already, they could feel it's reiatsu as the other one was picked up.

Dima flopped down onto his ass and fell over onto the floor panting. "Oh I'm so glad that's over," he whispered and fell immediately into a deep sleep. Imelda smiled and gathered up the two little boy Arrancar. She smiled at the group and showed them the two little creatures.

"Liron and Lior are their names," Imelda said as they squirmed in her arms. "They will grow rapidly, doubling in size within a week or so."

Rukia looked at them and they both locked eyes on her. They had slightly reddish brown how, and each one had a mask fragment behind an ear that looked like a feather. Lior, the slightly smaller of the two, had his behind his left ear. Liron's was behind his right ear. They appeared to be as close to identical as possible other than the one feature.

"Will they have Resurrections and things like that?" Uryū asked, frankly amazed.

"One day when their spiritual energy matures. For now, they feed off the spiritual energy of the alpha and beta. The ambient reishi also provides energy to them, so they do not require consuming of souls. Though here they will eat some foods that we make for them. These are our first young, so we are excited for it," Imelda said as she handed one of to the owl Arrancar Maxi as he approached.

"Here, Maxi, hold them for a second so I can put Dima into bed," she said as she handed over the other one. Maxi nodded and smiled at both in turn.

Imelda reached down and hefted Dima up easily and deposited him in the bed. "There, now. He'll sleep for around a day or two, then he'll be zipping around like mad, no doubt," she said with a soft smile.

She looked at Uryū. "I heard that you went to practice with Artemisia," Imelda said with a smile.

Uryū nodded. "Um, yeah. Her and…ah, the one with the bluish black and shiny hair…"

"Her mate, Ratri," Imelda said, snuggling the infant into her neckline. "I have a favor to ask of you all, would you mind going to gather food with our people today? We need stores from our hydroponics area and some of the fish that are in the underground river that runs by it."

"Hydroponics?" Uryū said, arching a brow.

"Yes, here," she looked around and then saw who she was looking for. "Chilin!"

The other Arrancar came over, and they immediately saw that he was pregnant as well. He wore something that looked like a belly dancer's outfit. It had a long skirt the brushed the ground and a halter top that left his stomach open. The small pooch was pronounced, but it was nowhere near the size that Dima's had been. He was short and very slender, so it was obvious that he was suited to the clothes he was wearing. His mask fragment looked like a set of jaws from each side of his head, and there was a thin red stripe down each of his cheeks. His shoulder length hair was somewhat wild around his face, the bangs that flopped almost into his eyes bright yellow, and the rest black fading into red at the tips. He smiled brightly at them as he came over.

"Can you take them to help harvest some of the mushrooms and the fish? I am afraid I am a bit…busy…" she said smiling at him.

"I can, come along," he said and spun with surprising grace despite the burgeoning belly.

Renji looked around. "Where…where did Kira and Hisagi go?" he asked.

"Oh, I had them go down with Zeboim to medical to help with Andresta. The blonde one said he had medical knowledge, and seemed to know a little about what your researcher did," Imelda said with a nod. "With Dima's labor I forgot to tell you."

Renji nodded. "Oh…okay," he said and ran to catch up with Chilin and the others who were headed down through tunnels. He leaned near to Rukia. "I'm having a hard time getting used to pregnant men," he muttered.

Rukia smirked. "I love his skirt, so pretty."

Chilin looked back at her. "Isn't it? I love to dance in it. We had a box of these show up one time while I was up in Las Noches, and there was a book on belly dancing. I simply fell in love with it. I've taught a few of the others how to do it since I came down here, but not as many are as dedicated to it as I am. It is almost freeing. At least here I don't get leered at…"

"Um, where is you…ah…mate?" Orihime asked nervously from beside Rukia.

"Oh, Fereydun is down at the river already," he said with a smile. "We'll see him in a second, here we go…"

They came out into an area with rushing water that led into what looked like a garden area. Several Arrancar walked around and picked various mushrooms, and others seemed to be fishing. One of them looked up. He was somewhat androgynous looking, and he got up to come hug Chilin. He was darker skinned and had long wavy hair cascading down his back. His tongue flicked out for a second, and they realized it was forked.

"Did Imelda's boys arrive?" he asked with slight hiss to his voice. There were scaly white patches on his cheeks. He stood a bit taller than the smaller Chilin.

"Yes, she needed to get some food. She asked the Shinigami to come with me to help," he said with a bright smile. "This is Fereydun," Chilin said as he hugged his arm around the other Arrancar's back.

"Um, well, I'm Renji, this is Rukia, Uryū, Chad, and Orihime," Renji said, pointing to each in turn. "Our other two companions are in the medical area trying to help sort out Andresta…" he said with a sigh.

"That poor creature," Fereydun muttered. "If he doesn't throw himself from the spires of Las Noches in his guilt and grief, I would be surprised."

"Chilin!" came a new voice and they looked up as a very female looking Arrancar. She was wearing what looked like a latex bodysuit that hugged every curve of her body. Her long curly blond hair was pinned up in a high ponytail, and there was a mask piece that looked like the upper jaw of a large cat sat on her forehead. Her cheeks were speckled with spotting that ran down toward her jaw.

"Alma," Chilin said. "Imelda's got her boys, and Dima's out. So, I came down to get a few baskets of mushrooms and a bunch of fish, and any of those herbs would be nice."

"Well, you'll have to see Kerest if you want herbs, I only deal with the mushrooms," she said with a smirk. She realized that the others were staring at her. "I'm the head mushroom gardener, I guess you'd say," she said to them. "I'm always knee deep in muck around here, so I don't wear regular clothes when I'm working."

Renji nodded slowly. "Um, yeah…so you have a lot of mushrooms, huh?"

"Oh yes!" she said excitedly, nearly clapping. "We have some really unique breeds, and I've managed to create some hybrids too." She led them to a darker area and turned on a reddish light that illuminated a field of various mushrooms that extended past their vision.

"I never knew there were so many kinds…these are all mushrooms?" Orihime said, scanning them.

Alma smiled proudly. "Yes, gathered from all over Hueco Mundo. The tall ones are my favorite," she said pointing to some that had to be ten feet tall with a wide cap on them. "They are one of the larger breeds, and they are so flavorful you barely need herbs with them."

"I didn't know Arrancar needed to eat?" Uryū said with a frown.

"Like you, we can consume food, both for the pleasure of it, and to nourish our energy," Chilin said as he handed a basket to each of them. "We're not here for the tree ones, those we harvest when they turn bright red at the top."

Chad noted an area that was roped off from the rest. "What are those?"

Alma nodded. "Those are medicinal. I grow several that can be used for medical purposes. There's one that makes an antiseptic ointment with the spores, and another one can be used as a pain relieving ointment on the skin. There's one in there that makes this really strong glue, too. Don't want to get that one mixed up with the food mushrooms!"

"And these?" Uryū said, looking at a wall covered in small ones.

"Ah, those. Those are a type of truffle, I think that's what you call them, but they feed on those minerals that run through that wall. Very delicate and tasty," Alma said. "Now, those over there," she said pointing to a small alcove with black colored mushrooms with pointed caps. "Those have some…ah, special properties. I trade them up with Zommari in Las Noches. He's one of the few ones up there that know about us, but if he gets his mushrooms for his visions, he's happy keeping quiet."

"Oh," Uryū muttered. "So they're hallucinogenic," he said with a nod.

Alma smiled and led them to several rows of dark brown hand sized round mushrooms. "These are the staple of our diets. Simple, and combined with the others, it can take on flavors and textures. Most of the hybrids are made based on this one. So, pick a basket of these…you and you," she said pointing to Orihime and Rukia. "And you two, come over here," she said and motioned to Uryū and Chad. Chilin had taken off to a different row with Renji in tow. "Grab a basket of these," she said and pointed to some slender stalked mushrooms with caps like perfect little white balls on top. "These are bitter, but they're more nutritious than any of the others, and if you cook them properly, they lose the bitterness."

After the mushroom picking was done, they took the baskets back to what looked like a makeshift kitchen. Another Arrancar took them and began slicing them up. Chilin led them back to the area where Imelda was sitting with the two babies clinging to her and chittering in her ear.

"A good trip?" she asked as they came up.

"Yes, it is fascinating what you've built down here," Uryū said.

"It has taken a lot of work, and there is much that has to be done to keep things running smoothly, but we all work together," she said as she sat the two babies down. They proceeded to play with each other's toes.

"Um, when do you think we can…" Rukia began but heard a shrill screech that she recognized.

"Put me down, you're going to mess up my hair!" Yumichika's voice echoed around them.

The huge Arrancar came over and dropped Yumichika off his shoulder and Ikkaku off his hip. Ikkaku was unconscious, and Yumichika was fuming and patting his hair. "Brutish creature!" he yelled. "To do something so vile to a beautiful thing like me," he said and looked up in surprise to see the others. "So this is what happened to you!" he said.

Imelda smiled. "I'll let you deal with your own. I must check in with medical on Andresta's condition and see if your other companions need anything."

Orihime stopped her. "Um, I have a healing ability, can…can I come with you? Maybe I can help."

"Of course, dear, come along. Chilin, watch the babies," she said as she led Orihime away.

Rukia looked at Yumichika who smacked Ikkaku's head. "Wake up, lazy ass!"

Ikkaku sat up, blinking as he looked around. "What…that guy hit like Zaraki-taichou…" he muttered.

"How did you two get caught?" Renji asked, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk.

"Zaraki-taichou's shortcuts…" Yumichika muttered. "We got separated from him and the fuku taichou. Wandered into this place…"

"What the hell is this?" Ikkaku asked as he looked around.

Renji and Rukia sighed and sat down to begin the tale once more.


	7. When Cero is Born

[Year 11, Month 3, Day 21]

"Ichigo?" Aizen said gently as he ran his hands over his head. His eyes fluttered and he stared at him for a moment. Unfortunately, it appeared he wasn't lucid now.

"Butterflies," he muttered and sat up, his hair sticking out in various points around him. "Too many butterflies, I can't see," he muttered as he stood up and looked at Aizen.

"Hush, now, come," Aizen said as he wrapped the yukata he'd brought around him. "Breakfast, then I have a meeting with the Espada."

Ichigo nodded, grabbing onto his arm as he walked out of Segunda's castle. Aizen led him down to the dining room and saw several of the Arrancar were watching him carefully. He still wasn't completely aware of most of his surroundings from what Aizen could tell. He grabbed both some of the food that one of the Arrancar had made. It was nothing especially good, but it was enough. He pulled Ichigo down to his lap. The reason was with him able to reach his Shunpo, he needed an even closer watch on him. He played with his food until Aizen fed him, trying to push his hands away from his mouth as he did it. He sighed. So much damage to his mind. It was excruciatingly obvious that Mayuri hadn't intended him to live.

"Aizen-sama?" came a voice. He glanced over and saw a younger Arrancar.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Um, sir, I wanted to report that there have been Shinigami spotted on the sands. Not very long at a time, but it seems they are doing some sort of reconnaissance on Las Noches," he said nervously.

At the words, Ichigo's body tensed and he gripped Aizen harder and buried his face in his chest. Aizen patted his back. "Shush, now, they're not going to get close to you, my dear," he muttered as he stood up, not bothering to stand Ichigo up. He just picked him up and headed off to the conference room. After a while, the Espada had gathered, including Segunda, to Aizen's surprise. Perhaps mating with Ichigo had helped him. He'd put Ichigo on the floor by his chair and given him a bottle of red paint and some paper. He was happily drawing with his fingers. Now and then he'd giggle or mutter something to the voices that spoke to him, but other than that he was content.

"Reports are showing more instances of Shinigami scouts," Grimmjow said with a shake of his head. "No idea what they think they're going to accomplish by coming here."

"They want him back, obviously," Nnoitra said as he crossed his arms.

"But for what purpose? In the state, he's in…" Harribel said as she glanced at him. "The boy is barely coherent, what good does retrieving him do Soul Society?"

Aizen thought and looked at them. "The boy is a danger to them now that I have him. I doubt very much they want him to heal him. They were intending to execute him as it was, but knowing he's innocent doesn't change what has happened to him."

"Fixing crazy as fuck isn't as easy as it sounds," Grimmjow muttered and glanced over when Ichigo giggled louder than before. He shushed himself and started muttering again.

"No, and they won't fix this. Ichigo is a glaring example of how easily corrupted they were. They don't want him to exist simply because if he does, he is a reminder of how they took a bright, talented young man and broke him completely. Ichigo loves them still, and I do not understand that," he said with a sigh as he saw Ichigo had opted to roll in the paint now. He sighed. He had it all over his braid and clothes now.

There was a silence. "What is your intention with the boy, then?" Harribel asked, looking at him seriously.

Aizen started to answer then stopped. He let out a deep sigh. "I've changed much over the time he's been here. Perhaps it is the hogyuku, perhaps it is Ichigo himself. I do not know. He's taken my heart, and I know that most of you would agree with that sentiment," he said, glancing around at the four Espada that had mated with him so far.

"It is fucked up," Nnoitra said as he crossed his arms with a huff. "That little mother fucker wormed his way into my head and now I can't fucking stop thinking about him and killing every goddamned person from Soul Society I ever see."

Aizen nodded and jerked when Ichigo sat up on his knees and put his head on his thigh. "M'hot," he muttered again. "Ink. Smells like ink and flowers," he said as he ducked under the table. Aizen watched as Szayel gasped and reached under the table.

"Ah, wait a minute!" he gasped as he pushed the chair back and glanced at Aizen. He nodded as Szayel pulled Ichigo out from under the table. He was positively drunk looking and drooling. "Come on," he said as he took him by the hand. "I have some sweets for you too." Szayel grinned and led him down to his lab.

Once inside Ichigo started to strip the yukata off and began touching his already leaking cock. "Szay, please…" he whimpered as he looked up to realize Szayel had stripped off his own clothes.

Ichigo blinked and stared. "You…your hollow hole…" he muttered as he realized that there was a very good reason he'd never seen Szayel's hollow hole before. It was in the head of his cock.

Szayel smirked at him and pushed him to his knees. "Yes, interesting, isn't it?" he said as he put it to his lips and then snapped his hips and pulled Ichigo's head forward. "I get so much pleasure from it in so many ways," he muttered as he watched Ichigo's eyes water from the ferocity he was fucking his throat. He growled as he shot his first down his throat. He planned to enjoy him, so it was imperative that he not go off too quickly.

Ichigo coughed and dropped to his hands and knees as Szayel pulled back. He heaved a few breaths but then he was on his back, looking up at Szayel. "Now, your turn," Szayel said as he moved down between his legs and began to suck on Ichigo's cock in return. Ichigo wasn't sure that he'd had someone do this before, and it didn't take long before he gasped as he came down Szayel's throat.

Szayel came up and smirked. "There, now that the first one is out of the way," he said as he leaned forward and picked Ichigo up and easily tossed him over his shoulder. He gave a squeak as he was spinning around and landing on something soft. Now, though, Szayel was moving and had buried three fingers in him before Ichigo even realized what he was doing.

"The wetness always fascinates me," he muttered as he thrust his fingers deeply into him. "An absolutely useless process, since the young aren't delivered this way," he said as he spread his fingers and stretched him open. Ichigo let out a long whine.

"Please, I need…it's so hard in there," he whispered and Szayel knew he was talking about the problem with his reiatsu being poisoned.

"I know, Ichi-love, just a minute, and I'll help," he said as he moved up and slid his cock home.

Ichigo bucked back against him and moaned deep in his throat. Szayel hadn't done this in a long while, let alone with a beta like this. He smirked as he tormented the poor thing, slowly pressing in and back until he couldn't stop it any longer and let the instinct take over. He went over the first time when Ichigo crested. He spun Ichigo over and began the claiming as he watched his face. When the reiatsu rolled over them both, they gasped out in sync with each other. Szayel fell forward and clutched Ichigo to his chest, nearly sobbing suddenly. It took a second to realize what had happened. As incredibly unlikely as it was, Szayel realized what was happening.

Ichigo was giving them what all hollows needed: a way to fill the emptiness. And in return, they were giving him some of their aspect of death…

He felt. For the first time in so many, many years, he felt deeply. What a thing…

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 3, Day 22]

Starrk awoke with a groan as Lilynette landed on his stomach. "Wake up lazy ass."

"What is it?" Starrk mumbled. "I was sleeping."

"You're always sleeping. I think it's time. You know it," she said with a growl to her voice. "I feel it."

Starrk nodded. "Yes, so it seems. I should go, yes?"

"Yes, get this done. There's something coming. And you need to help him. I hate that I feel it too, but you have to," she said with a sigh.

Starrk nodded and stood slowly, easily following the scent and the allure of the beta's heat. He wandered the halls for a long while until he came to one of the rooms where a large fountain had been built. He put his hands in his pockets as he went into the room. He heard splashing immediately. He looked and saw Aizen was sitting on a bench watching as Ichigo, completely divested of his clothes, was sitting in the middle of the fountain splashing and giggling. Ichigo's head popped up as soon as Starrk came into the area.

Aizen smiled and nodded to him. He started to get up but Starrk waved at him to stay. He knew that this would destroy the last of the reiatsu that was poisoning him. Starrk felt it as he moved to sit on the edge of the fountain. Ichigo slowly crawled through the water to him and knelt.

"Puppy," he muttered and headbutted Starrk's leg.

"Hum, yes," Starrk said and started running his hand over Ichigo's head. "You are in need, yes?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, looking at him. "So hot…so…much pain…you…you can help?"

"Of course," Starrk said and snatched Ichigo up from the water and pulled him to straddle his lap, his own cock already hard from the smell alone.

Starrk didn't waste time, mostly because he felt the desperation as he freed himself and slid Ichigo down onto his hardness, sliding into the heated depths. He moaned and embraced Starrk tightly. His voice when he spoke was different, not tinged with the high-pitched sound it often was.

"Help, it's killing us…" he whispered as he started to writhe on Starrk's lap. "Stop it, I can't stop it…not alone…"

"I know, I know," Starrk said and leaned forward, licking against his neck before moving with speed that no one knew the lazy Espada had. He dumped Ichigo forward onto the ground, slamming him down hard. He pulled his left leg up and straddled the right, driving into him hard and fast.

Aizen blinked. He didn't think Starrk capable of such furious attentions. He supposed sex was one way to work the lazy bastard up. He watched as Ichigo's face turned toward him and he was obviously in between pain and ecstasy. He moaned low as he fell over the edge the first time, then Starrk followed him, slowing for a bit as he worked in and out of him until he was hardened again. He leaned forward and pushed his shoulders to the ground, still having his body twisted under him. He growled and bit hard into a space on his neck. The explosion of reiatsu was enough that Aizen found himself stunned for a second before blinking and finding Starrk sitting on the ground, cradling Ichigo in his arms with a confused look.

Aizen blinked and moved over. He saw all six of the bites left by the Espada were leaking energies that matched their spiritual energies. Ichigo was completely unconscious, though, eyes white and open. He knelt and cupped his face, hoping that this wasn't his end… But why?

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Hush, I've got you," came a voice Ichigo had missed so much. He sobbed and clung to someone that was holding him tightly. "I've got you, I'm never letting you go again…"

Ichigo opened his eyes and found he was in his inner world. He was in a bubble where outside it there was a rain of black ichor all around. The bubble was barely big enough to contain the three of them because he saw Shiro was holding him, and Zangetsu sat beside him.

"Sh-Shiro…" he whispered and looked at him. He reached up and cupped the white face. "He tried…he tried to take you away…and…"

"I know, King, I know," he said and clutched him to his chest. "They did it, the poison is gone. But your madness remains," he whispered to him.

Ichigo saw he raining black ichor that was running down the outside of the bubble. He swallowed. "I can think. I'm not muddled," he whispered and looked up into Shiro's black and gold eyes.

"This is the last spec of your sanity, King," Shiro said with a smile. "Fucking nearly killed us to get to it, you know. We did, and now you're going to have to do the work. You get us back. We're trusting you, though. I know you don't understand, but we have to do something. The poison is gone, so the bubble is safe. But we can't last in here, King."

Ichigo nodded. "I'm messed up. Why should I try? I can't even begin to tell you what this is like…to see things…hear things…and I know they aren't there!" Ichigo swallowed. "Can't…can't I just die and move on? This is hell…to know it…"

"No, King, it isn't that simple. This damage? This is your soul. It goes with you. There's no going around it. You have to go through it."

"I'm crazy," Ichigo said. "You know that. I can't even…and I'm…what I did to…to stop the poisoned reiatsu…" He blinked and looked at Shiro. "How can I even begin to be okay with this? I'm nothing but…but…"

"Hush. You're a beta. You're going to be a full Arrancar very soon. Once you are, you might be able to manage the insanity with some practice," Shiro said with a smile.

"What? Why am I going to be a full Arrancar?" Ichigo asked with wide eyes.

"He's putting you into a stasis chamber for the transformation now, that's what's happening outside now. The hogyuku is going to transform us. It's the only way," Shiro said as he clutched Ichigo tighter.

"Why?" Ichigo asked trying to push him back but finding he was far too weak to even move now.

"The claiming, there were six, Ichigo, and you're marked by them all. The Shinigami is too weak to survive. What that bastard Mayuri did…it was almost enough to kill you. Only your stubborn ass refusal to die that kept you alive and me from emerging. Well, there were a few times I tried, but whatever that mother fucker did kept me from doing it. I would have killed every one of the mother fuckers. So, that's why I'm keeping you in here for a while, hoping the hogyuku can let you heal. For a little while," Shiro said and brushed a hand over his head.

"I'm going to be bound to them?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, they're your alphas now. But they'll go to the ends of the worlds for you. The hogyuku doesn't only change you, mostly because Aizen's an idiot," Shiro said and leaned to kiss his forehead gently. Ichigo frowned at him, suddenly, his energy draining even further. "Yeah, he thinks he's the master. He's wrong. But you're too fucking insane to understand right now, well, out there anyway. I'm going to do my best to help, okay? And this transformation might help some, but I can't fix everything for you. You're going to have to do it. I know you don't believe you can. But you will. And they'll help you and take care of you until you do," Shiro said and Ichigo's eyes fluttered, the world fading out and descending into something akin to solid chaos around him.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

[Year 11, Month 5, Day 15]

Aizen stood over the chamber and waited. Every day, he came in here to see if it was finished, if he was going to emerge. There was a constant rotation of the Espada, including those that had not claimed Ichigo as a beta. Harribel and her fraccion were often there, waiting as well. No one said anything, of course, they simply waited. None of them wanted to express the things they knew were possible. Szayel knew that it was more than possible he would never emerge.

So now, Aizen knelt by the cube he was laid in. The mist inside kept anyone from seeing inside. It would not open until the transformation was complete. Aizen had no idea what would happen. He'd never done this with a Shinigami. There were so many variables. But this was their only choice. He put his hands on the top.

"I never imagined this," he said quietly. "I never thought this would happen. You changed me. You changed them. I didn't care when I started this game. You were a ploy, a pawn on the board for me. I would use you and your power however I liked, just like I did the Arrancar like Wonderweiss and Tōsen and Gin. Things, tools to reach my desire. But then…you did something. I don't know how. I was as hollow as the Arrancar I created. Hollowed out, emotionless, only one desire, to reach power untold. Then…the first time I saw that look, the abject terror on your face at the thought of going back to them…and when you looked at us like we were the ones in the right, the just ones, as Tōsen would have said…"

Aizen walked around it, a rectangular box, almost coffin like, to be honest, and drug his hand over the hard, smooth surface. It was slightly warm to the touch. He hoped that meant that he was alive still. He had no way to know.

"I never imagined this, no, never," he said and stopped, placing his hand over the end of the box. "You did what no one could. You made me love something more than power. You made me love you…"

There was a release of pressure from the box and Aizen stepped back. It was opening. Immediately, Grimmjow and Szayel appeared at the doorway. Aizen sensed the others were near as well. The clear cube crumbled and the mists cleared and Aizen smiled. He heard deep breaths from the clouded smoke.

"Ichigo?" he asked as he stepped forward, the mist dissipating.

He looked up, at first glance, not much different than before. But his face was marked, and so was his chest. A large black circle sat in the center and lines ran back over his body. He blinked his light brown eyes repeatedly as he looked up at Aizen. Aizen smiled. On his throat, the number zero had appeared. His hair was loose, flowing around and down to the floor where he knelt, surrounding him like an orange corona.

Aizen moved to kneel in front of him. He reached out and put his hands on either side of Ichigo's face. "You're with us again, Ichigo," he said gently.

Ichigo smiled and reached up to touch Aizen's face. Now, he could see the stark marks, three down each side of his neck, where the Espada had claimed him. They were all swirling with black and red energy. Aizen ran his hands down his body, sliding around his bare back and hugging him tightly. "I was afraid you wouldn't emerge."

"Shiro…said…I had to…or we'd die…" he whispered. "I'm not well…but…I'm n-not dying…"

Aizen nodded and swept him up into his arms. "Come we're going to let you rest in our bed," he said and passed the other Espada who watched them go.

He put him down easily, and went to get him something to drink. When he came back, he noticed that he was staring at him with clear eyes for a little while.

"I have to… go through…it. I can't…avoid it…" he said before his eyes flittered away ad he whispered to something that wasn't there.

Aizen slid into the bed beside him and pulled him into his lap. Ichigo gasped but held to him. "I love you, too," he muttered as he fell into a restless sleep in Aizen's arms.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Present

[Year 11, Month 6, Day 6]

Kira and Shūhei sat in the medical ward and were stunned by what they had been shown. The things that had been done to these Arrancar…they were wretched. Despite that, they were both impressed by how well equipped and stocked the Arrancar's medical was. There were about every type of medicine and surgery item that could be imagined.

"Iris, you have to eat," Kira said softly as he sat beside the bed of the Arrancar. She was weeping softly now, but she would often wail loudly. Getting her to eat was a chore, and Kira had offered to handle it for breakfast. Shūhei had gone to help with Andresta, who was having another breakdown.

Iris, as usual, spoke nothing, only wept a bit louder and covered her face. Kira thought she was a pretty Arrancar, with lovely dark purple hair and large eyes with black marks around both. Her mask fragment looked like a flowering vine twining through her long, straight hair. They had no idea what had happened to her. Zadie, one of the medical Arrancar, said that she had been unable to speak ever since she became an Arrancar, which was why she was discarded by Aizen.

"Did you hear the screaming of the planet as it died?" whispered a voice to Kira's left. He jumped and saw it was Lel, another of the ones that Mayuri had done something to. He blinked wide, dull blue-gray eyes at Kira.

"Lel, no, I didn't, have you eaten yet?" he asked gently.

"No, the true face of the sky got in the way," he muttered and wandered over toward the other side of the room where he stood and stared at a spot on the wall. His mask fragment looked like the shell of a horseshoe crab and sat over the back of his head nearly obscuring his brown hair from behind.

He sighed and put the bowl of soup down. Iris continued to rock and weep. He could hear Kriya Windthunder's voice from the next area easily so he got up and walked into the room.

"Andresta, for pity's sake," she growled.

At first, Kira had thought she was a male Arrancar because of her dress. She wore suits and had brass colored hair. Her mask fragment was a bunch of spikey protrusions on her skull that came up out of her hair. She also was always accompanied by another Arrancar, that he had come to know as Moab Dali. He had purple hair and wore fancy black clothes. Kira thought he was quiet, and he seemed to worry all the time.

Shūhei had taken a position near the doorway to the small alcove, probably to keep him inside it and stop him from running around the place. Kira walked up and sighed. "What happened?"

Shūhei sighed. "He had a nightmare, and we can't get him settled back down…"

"Andresta!" Kriya said and grabbed him by the shoulders to shake him. "Look at me!"

Andresta moved his eyes to her and panted, trying to stop the flood of tears down his face. "I'm sorry, so sorry…just…I remembered…and I couldn't stop it…and his eyes, of all the things I'll never forget, his eyes!"

"You need to calm yourself," Kriya said with a sigh. "This is doing you no good."

"How can I be calm knowing he's up there in Las Noches? That he could…could remember what I did?" he gasped.

"Andresta. We have gone over this time and time again. I do not know how to make you understand better," Kriya said, voice softening some. "But here, it's a tonic from one of the mushrooms, should calm you down. I know Dima would be sad if you didn't come to the celebration today."

Andresta sighed. "Okay," he said and took the vial and sucked it down. He made a sour face. "Oh, that is awful," he muttered as he wiped his mouth.

"Well, at least your heartrate is dropping," she said with a sigh. She glanced at Kira and Shūhei. "You should join your companions at the celebration. I'll have Moab take you."

The two Shinigami thanked her and let Moab lead them to a brightly lit beach. It looked like a huge underground lake emerged at this spot, and everyone was starting to gather. They thanked Moab who took off back to Kriya. They spotted Rukia and the others all huddled together near one side away from the busy Arrancar so they headed over.

"There you are," Rukia said with a smile. "We were wondering if you were going to stay in medical all day."

Kira nodded then glanced over to see that Ikkaku was sitting on the ground with Yumichika's head lying in his lap. He smirked. They usually didn't show any outward signs of affection toward each other, but he supposed this was an entirely different situation. All around them, Arrancar they knew and those they didn't began filtering in. Near where they were standing Dima and Imelda had set up with the babies. Dima came running over toward them.

"Good, you're all here! This should be a lot of fun!" he said as he bounded around. "I'm so glad to not be pregnant," he muttered as he spun on his toes like a ballerina. He was wearing a pair of tight shorts and a looser shirt.

"I would imagine," Renji said with a smirk. "You look like you like to move a lot."

"Oh yes, I love to run especially," he said with a smirk before he tipped over and hand walked back toward the area with the babies, for which Imelda chided him for overexerting himself so soon after they were born. Kira noted that he had a pink sports bra on under the shirt. He was still getting used to their odd clothing choices.

They all stood awkwardly at the side until Chilin, the very pregnant Arrancar in the belly dancer clothes came over and grabbed Rukia by the wrist. "Come, your people should come enjoy yourselves! You have new arrivals too!"

Yumichika stood up and stretched, seeing Chilin. He walked over. "Aren't you adorable," he said with a smirk.

Chilin looked at him. "Ah, you are very pretty too, come, my mate will no doubt enjoy your company. Is this bald one your mate?" he asked with a smile.

Yumichika actually blushed a bit but Ikkaku put an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah."

Yumichika glanced at him and shook his head. "What is it you wish us to do?"

Chilin smirked and grabbed Rukia by the hand. "Come on!"

He led them over to a tent that was set up and inside Fereydun and Alma were seated with an Arrancar they hadn't met, inhaling something very fragrant from a very large hookah that took up the center of the tent. "Come in," Alma said, motioning the others into the large room. "Plenty room, please, join us. There are several mouth pieces left…"

Yumichika and Ikkaku sat down next to Fereydun who glanced at Yumichika and smiled. "Sso, hello," he said. Chilin sat down on his lap and sucked from the hookah briefly.

"This is my mate, Fereydun," Chilin said and snuggled him. "And that's his brother Darius," he said, pointing to the one sitting on the other side of Fereydun. He was a lot more masculine looking than anyone else in the tent, and had a shirt that looked to be stained with grease of some sort. "And Alma here is our mushroom expert," he said and pointed to her. She was still wearing a latex bodysuit. Chilin smiled and looked back at Yumichika and Ikkaku again. "I didn't get your names," he said as he looked at Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Ikkaku, and this is Yumichika," Ikkaku said and glanced over where Renji and Rukia were sitting on the other side while Chad seemed to hang back. Orihime and Uryū had both taken a hose and were experimentally drawing in short breaths. Kira and Shūhei sat in the last open spots.

Chilin nodded. "They're mates too," he said to Fereydun.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say…" Yumichika started but Ikkaku squeezed his ass. He glared at him.

"Yumi, don't make such faces. It will turn you ugly," he said with a smirk.

Yumichika huffed and grabbed the hose and sucked in some of the air through it. It was actually quite calming and refreshing.

"So, is this common when babies are born?" Rukia asked as she passed her hose to Renji.

"Sometimes," Alma said with a sigh. "Babies aren't born all that often. I mean, pairing up doesn't happen a whole lot yet. We've been out here more than ten years now, and we've really just started having them with any frequency."

"Why's that?" Uryū asked with a concerned look.

"Matess must be equal powers," Fereydun said, reaching up to rub some of the scale patches on his face. "Aizen created many Arrancar, and now, instincts have begun to take over, increasing the drive for procreation. Lower hollows have always had it, but it hasss taken time to begin having matches between us. That'sss why your friend is in trouble."

The flap to the tent suddenly was pulled open and the group turned and stared.

"Nel?" Rukia asked as she stood up. Nel was in her Espada form, not the child form.

"Where is Itsygo?" she demanded. "Imelda said you were here because of Itsygo. Where is he?"

Rukia glanced at the others. "Um, well, you see, Aizen has him, there was an incident…"

"And he's as crazy as Iris and Lel these days," Chilin said with a smirk.

Nel's eyes widened. "What? What did you do? Where is he now?"

Everyone felt the sudden rise in Nel's reiatsu. Renji stood up. "Nel, right? You were the little Arrancar when we were here before that Ichigo kept safe?"

"Yes, where is my Itsygo?"

"Well, they messed him up," Chilin said. "The Shinigami researcher, he made him a bit nutty. I'm sure you've felt those reiatsu surges from Las Noches, even when you were running around in Endless Chase…" he said with a shrug.

She looked from Chilin to the others. "Why? Why did you hurt Itsygo?"

"It was a complicated situation, and there was a grave mistake made…" Rukia started. Nel shook her head.

"I will find my Itsygo."

She turned and took off from the doorway. "Wow, I've never seen Nel get angry," Alma said. "She must like this Ichigo of yours."

Rukia sighed. "Yeah, it is complicated," she said with a sigh.

After a bit, they all emerged to see even more Arrancar milling around. Tables with foods were set up, including a ton of mushrooms. Everyone had gone to visit Imelda and Dima with the babies. More than once, Imelda chided her mate for doing things like one handed hand stands and trying to outrun some of the other speedy Arrancar in short races.

Renji looked at Rukia. "How…how is this place here?"

"I don't know, but I know that what Kurotsuchi-taichou has done to them is wrong. They aren't monsters, they're just like anyone else. They just want to live and be left alone. Why is that so hard for them to be left to do?" she said as she watched Orihime playing with a toddling child Arrancar.

Renji shook his head. "We can't just let this continue. What he did to Ichigo, what he's done to them…how did we look the other way for so long?"

Rukia sighed deeply. "We didn't want to see it, Renji. We didn't want to see it. And that's the problem. We have to look. To stop it."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Nel stormed into the tech area and found Pesche and Dondochakka were sitting in front of a television with some sort of game playing on it. It had a bouncing ball on it. She nodded to Electra who was standing near them. Electra looked at them.

"Boys, Nel needs you," she said with a smile.

"We're busy right now," Pesche said. "I'm winning…"

"We have to go," she said as she walked up to them. "You are not busy," she said as she reached down and pulled the plug from the back of the console they were on. Both looked at her with shock. "We're going to get Itsygo. He's with Aizen."

The two nodded reluctantly and headed out with Nel. She was determined to find Itsygo and help… She stopped, looking around and feeling a familiar reiatsu.

"That's Itsygo!" she said and took off with her two fraccion behind her. She skidded to a stop in time to see a garganta closing and Ichigo's reiatsu was simply gone. Her anger flared and she turned, nearly running into Aizen who was standing in the middle of the sand staring in the direction the garganta had been.

"Aizen!" Nel yelled out and looked at him. To her shock, she realized, his eyes were full of tears.

"They took him. They took him back to Soul Society. I will destroy every one of them between me and him," he said without looking toward her. Seconds later, she realized the rest of the Espada had appeared around him. Nel knew something was different. Something was very different. They all had reiatsu that was tinged with Ichigo's. She turned and stared at where the garganta had been and then looked at Aizen.

"There are Shinigami here, I can take you to them."

Aizen nodded and glanced behind him. "Grimmjow, go with her. Bring me the Shinigami. Don't kill them. I want answers before they die," he said and disappeared in a Shunpo.


	8. When the Truth Explodes

Chapter Eight

When the Truth Explodes

[Year 11, Month 5, Day 16]

Ichigo found himself somewhere between sanity and madness as his eyes opened the morning after emerging from the hogyuku's transformation. The fake versions of Shiro and Zangetsu no longer spoke to him; instead the real Shiro and Zangetsu spoke to him now. His mind still wandered off when he was thinking, and he saw things that shouldn't be there, but on some level he knew this. It was closer to the way things had been during his solitary confinement. He was insane, but he knew he was insane. And he was furious. The anger had returned, settling into his gut like an open forge.

How dare they.

How dare they do this.

To anyone.

He rolled to the side and clutched whatever warm body was near him and sighed. It was nice. To be warm, and held. He didn't want to be alone ever again. He felt someone run hands through his hair and he hummed, a bit of clarity settling into his mind for a moment.

"You awake, my dear?" Aizen's voice was there.

"I'm awake," he whispered, nuzzling into Aizen's arms.

To think, Sōsuke Aizen was the person that had saved him. He was the person that caused it all, in a way. He was the one that made them think he'd murdered Jūshirō. But that was expected. What had been the horrible thing was that his friends believed it and refused to see past everything that spoke to his innocence. Aizen's actions weren't the problem; those in Soul Society's actions were. Even his father had turned on him at a moment's notice. But it was Aizen that had took him, in a state that Soul Society intended to destroy him, and helped him. Treated him and now…loved him. As weird as it was, it made sense. This was the first time he'd had enough clarity to think for more than a few seconds at a time. He smiled. It wasn't much, he thought as the thoughts of things that weren't there started to impinge. He'd take whatever clarity he could get.

Aizen smiled as he felt him curl around him. It was nice to know that he was still the same as he had been. He stroked his hands through his hair and marveled at the whole thing. He sighed and kissed the top of his head.

"My dear, we should get up," he said and tipped his face upward.

"Are there sparrows?" Ichigo asked. "I'd like sparrows to fly through the rafters…" he muttered and sat up slowly.

Aizen smiled. "No, my dear, come, you need to dress…"

There was a flash as he turned and Aizen looked at Ichigo. He was staring at his hands, where two blades now rested. They were black as night, and both had a diamond at the top of them. From each of them fell a black chain that was hooked to the diamond pommel. The blades both had wicked looking sharp points, one a small, almost dagger sized blade, and the other the size of Ichigo's normal blade. Aizen walked around and pulled Ichigo's face up.

"My dear, they've given you your blades back, haven't they?" he asked.

"Shiro says to be careful and not to use the short blade if I don't want to hurt someone for real," he said as he looked at the glinting black metal. "He says that I should wear a collar to connect them to so I don't lose them when I fight…" He looked at them, jangling the chains. "I'm chained forever to you, to them, there's no changing that…I have to stop the blackness in there, I have to stop it, or it's going to erode the bubble, the bubble is shrinking, how do I stop it?" he asked, turning and looking at Aizen.

Aizen wasn't sure how to answer that. "Ichigo, what is the bubble?"

He stared at him. "Sanity," he whispered. "Only a bit, inside there, I have it but when I come back, I can't…touch it…" As he spoke, he seemed to be reaching for something in front of him.

"Your inner world. The spirits protected your sanity the best they could, but there isn't much left, is there?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No. The lightning nearly destroyed it…but the black is still raining down…" he said and dropped both the blades. He walked toward the mirror again, staring at his body after the transformation. He was still nude, having never dressed after Aizen brought him back to their room.

The round mark in the center of his chest was a black almost deep enough that it seemed to suck in the light around him. Thick, black lines ran from the top of the circle over his shoulders, and from the bottom of it around his sides. He turned and saw that they met in the middle of his back. There were red streaks down his face now, but if he concentrated, he could make them fade. He smiled and saw that there was another black circle, below his belly button, this one had black marks that extended up and over his hips, and down the front to wind down the inside of his thighs, meeting the ones that flowed over his hips and swirled down his legs to his ankles. He tipped his head up and felt the zero that was on his throat.

"Cero…" he whispered.

Aizen moved behind him, putting his hands on Ichigo's hips. "Yes, cero. You are more powerful than any, even Starrk. My beautiful Cero," he said as he spun Ichigo around and smiled at him.

"How?" Ichigo whispered, searching Aizen's face. "I'm…not an alpha…"

Aizen smirked, leaning and kissing the zero on his throat gently. "No, but that is why you are more powerful than anyone else. You are everything to them. They are loyal to you, my dear. Every one of them is yours to command."

Ichigo was trying to comprehend what had happened, but it was difficult to focus his mind. "I want to practice with my new blades," he said as Aizen's hands slid down his back.

"Hmm, yes, but I wish to enjoy my Cero first…" Aizen whispered into his ear, carefully tucking his hair back.

Ichigo's mind seemed to clear and he responded, biting down on Aizen's throat with a growl, fingers clutching into his shoulders. Aizen smiled, moving his hands to pry his head away from his bleeding neck. "Oh, yes, you still enjoy the blood, don't you?" he said as Ichigo's eyes followed the dripping crimson liquid.

Aizen slipped the kusodo off and walked back toward their bed. Ichigo's eyes were on the blood and nowhere else as he followed him. He lunged forward and began licking and sucking at the wound. Aizen smiled. A little pain for his pleasure, he thought to himself. He shifted and dropped Ichigo to his back where he snarled at him, frustrated at being pulled away from the bleeding wound.

"Hush, now, you'll get what you want," Aizen said with a smirk. He watched as he did what he asked, even in this state of excitation and arousal. He was his master, now…

Aizen's hands slid over his hips and down all the marks slowly, finding him unusually sensitive now to his touches. He slipped his hand down and slid his middle finger into him, finding it still warm and wet inside. It seemed that the beta instincts hadn't gone away. That would certainly make things easier in the long run, he thought as he shifted. He slid up, moving his hands to his hips. He pulled himself free of the hakama and slid forward into his heat.

He arched under him, moaning and growling at the same time. Aizen leaned forward, and Ichigo immediately moved to bite and suck on his neck again. It didn't take long before Ichigo's body spasmed around him and Ichigo's voice shifted to a more hollow sound as he fell from the pleasurable crest. Aizen followed him, clutching him now against his chest. They sat there panting and embraced for a long moment before Aizen began kissing Ichigo's face. The red markings had reappeared, more than before. It seemed that the more he let go, the more red lines appeared on his face. They slowly faded as Ichigo's heartrate began to come down.

Aizen lifted him easily, especially in the fugue haze he was in at the moment, and took him to the baths. They stayed there for a long time before he dressed him again. He found a collar that had the metal rings imbedded that would be necessary to attach his Zanpakutō to them. It fell below the zero on his throat, and had a ring on either side. He attached the long blade to the right and handed it to him.

"There, my dear. I'm sure Nnoitra or Grimmjow will want to play," he said.

Ichigo stared at the blade and smiled at Aizen. "Yes…" he said and zipped off in a sonido.

Aizen followed, though, just to make sure he didn't get into trouble. He'd taken the small blade and put it on his hip in case something happened and Ichigo needed to really fight.

Over the next couple weeks, Ichigo ended up being a constant companion of the Espada. He would spar and fight with all of them, and some of the fraccion as well. Of course, a sparring match with any of his mated alphas usually ended with some sort of harsh fucking wherever they were sparring at, sometimes with more than one of them. Aizen found it amusing to watch them, but at the end of the day, Ichigo returned to his bed, and to him.

[Year 11, Month 6, Day 1]

"They're here," Grimmjow said as he stood beside Aizen watching the sands.

"Yeah. Kuchiki and Abarai, and Ichigo's group of 'friends'. There are reports of other groups of Shinigami incursions. Kuchiki's group is here to take him back; the others are a distraction," Aizen noted. He glanced behind him. Ichigo was sitting on the floor at the base of the wall drawing in red paint on the floor.

Grimmjow nodded. "What should we do?"

"Let them see what their friend has become. Warn Szayel that he will probably need some treatment when he's done. I don't see him holding back once he sees them. Bring Nnoitra, I want you to stand the wall with him in case they get the upper hand. I don't expect them to, but I'd rather make sure he can't be brought down. I'll pull him off once the point has been made to them."

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Grimmjow asked with a frown.

"Yes, go on," he told Grimmjow.

Aizen dropped down to the floor beside Ichigo and he looked up and smiled at him. "Master! Pretty red," he sad and Aizen saw he'd drawn a bunch of different symbols in the paint.

"Yes, love, your old friends from Soul Society are at the wall. If you want, you can go play with them, and you can see them bleed for you, for what they did to you," he whispered.

Ichigo's eyes lit up. "Oh, oh yes," he said and took off toward the wall. Aizen followed, watching in amusement as Nnoitra and Grimmjow bantered back and forth with him. After he let Ichigo fight long enough that he was injured he went down and called him back. He resisted him at first, of course, because who could blame him? He hefted him and left the Shinigami confused and took him to Szayel.

"Oh my, now what?" Szayel said as he sighed. "How did you do this?"

"Cut it, that Rukia bitch did it…" he muttered. "Well her and Renji," he muttered as he growled, eyes flashing red for a moment.

Szayel looked up at Aizen. "They came for him?"

"Yes, but we showed them that he was not theirs any longer. But the fight left him a bit wounded," Aizen said as he petted a hand through Ichigo's hair where it was coming loose. He was sucking thoughtfully on his hand where it was bleeding and looking around the room. Szayel shook his head.

"It is a good thing he's an Arrancar now," he muttered and injected him with the serum he'd created that triggered Ichigo's instant regeneration.

After about an hour, he was healed of most of it. He was now playing with the edges of the cover on the bed. He kept muttering about something. Aizen came back and found him sitting on the floor painting in red paint again. Two things had made an appearance throughout Las Noches in every room where Ichigo had to be occupied. Red paint and paper, and some sort of sweets. He looked up to see Grimmjow come in the see how he was.

"Fix him up?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, want to take him for a while? I'm worried about the other Shinigami, and I want him monitored in case it triggers any relapses," Aizen said and clapped Grimmjow on the back.

Grimmjow nodded. "Got it, boss," he said as he knelt in front of Ichigo. "Yo, Cero, baby, want to come play in the garden with me?"

Ichigo looked up and grinned. "Yeah, flowers!" he said and jumped to his feet. Luckily, Grimmjow was ready for him and snatched him around the waist, stopping him from taking off by himself. There was no telling where he'd end up without someone with him. What he called flowers were decidedly not flowers sometimes.

"Whoa," Grimmjow said as he squirmed in his grip. "Nah, we go together, okay?"

Ichigo looked at him and smiled. "Kiss kitty?"

Grimmjow nodded, leaning down and kissing his lips only to have him leap on him, holding onto his hair and nearly knocking him to the ground. Grimmjow heard Szayel giggling behind him. Damn he was so unpredictable, he thought as he put his hands under his ass to keep him from pulling his hair out. He languidly tangled tongues with him for a long time, feeling his hands flexing in the sides of his hair until he pulled back and grinned. "Kitty kisses!" he said and put his head on Grimmjow's chest.

"Fuck, why do you have to do adorable shit like that," Grimmjow said shaking his head and walking out with him clutched in his arms.

"You know, they do things to endear them to you," Szayel commented before he left the door.

"Huh?" Grimmjow said and looked at him.

"Betas. It makes sense. The Arrancar are evolved hollows, so the instincts of evolved betas would have to change. Instead of just shaking their ass at an alpha, they have to do something to make them invested in them. So you seem to be the target of his spontaneous sex and kiss thing. He likes to randomly try to suck my cock in the middle of meetings…can be distracted, but he's fascinated with my hollow hole…" he said with a snort.

Grimmjow sighed, letting Ichigo nuzzle deeper into him. He didn't want to admit it but as much as he liked rough fighting and fucking, he also loved it when he just held him. He knew Starrk was like that with him. He'd found Ichigo more than once piled in the middle of his pillow mound sound asleep with Starrk. He sighed.

"This is fucked up," he muttered.

"What is?" Szayel said, coming around and putting a candy in Ichigo's mouth. He smiled and licked his fingers before Szayel took them away.

"He's changed us all. You see that right?" he muttered.

"Yeah, sure did. Him or the hogyuku…not sure which or if it's both of them…" Szayel said with a sigh. "I actually found myself missing Illfordt today…"

Grimmjow nodded. "Is it…is it that he's filling the emptiness?"

"I think so."

Grimmjow sighed, putting Ichigo down as he wriggled out of his arms. How could this happen? He had no idea as he followed him as he skipped down the hallway toward the gardens. Grimmjow found himself smiling. What was this?

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Present

[Year 11, Month 6, Day 6]

"I think we're going to have go out there," Grimmjow said with a sigh as he watched the two groups of Shinigami converging on Las Noches.

Aizen sighed. "I can't send him out now…not in his condition. Try to keep him here, Grimmjow. I'll try to get rid of them."

He turned to see Ichigo was sitting on Ulquiorra's lap, facing him and feeding him bits of fruit off his breakfast plate in the observation room. Ever since the incursions started, he'd tried to keep Ichigo inside Las Noches, but they were becoming more insistent. He sighed and went over to him.

"Ichigo? I'm going out. The people from Soul Society keep trying to break into Las Noches. I'm going to go tell them they need to leave us alone. But just in case, here," he said and clicked the short blade onto the ring in collar. He leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Ichigo played with the short blade with a wistful look.

"Kill?" he asked, looking up at Aizen.

"If you wish," he said with a smile. "I will."

"No kill," he said. "Not them," he said sadly.

Aizen had been afraid of that. "Alright, my love, no killing."

He stood up and headed out to the wall. He appeared at the top and looked down where Kenpachi and Shunsui stood with their divisions at their back.

"Aizen!" Shunsui yelled. "Return Ichigo Kurosaki to us!"

"He doesn't want to come back to the people that hurt him," he said and crossed his arms before he flash stepped down to the bottom of the wall.

"He needs help," Shunsui said.

"He does not need anything from you. Leave us."

"We're not leaving him with you. You've already done something with several of our teams," Shunsui said. "Are they dead?"

"I have captured none of your people. And we only wish to be left alone."

"Master!" Aizen heard and looked up, narrowly missing Ichigo leaping down from the wall. He stumbled and smiled at him. "Was worried, you didn't come back," he said with a pout and then looked at the two black clad Shinigami. "Why haven't they left yet?" he asked, glaring at them as he dropped into a crouch, drawing both blades slowly. The heavy chains jangled around him.

"You turned him."

"I had to," Aizen said as Ichigo smirked and his eyes flashed redly. "He was dying."

"To let him die would have been a kindness," Shunsui said as he watched him.

"Master they need to bleed…can I play…please…just a little?" he asked. "I won't kill them too much, promise…"

Behind them, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Nnoitra all dropped down. Ichigo turned and ran to Grimmjow first. "Kitty! Kitty kiss!" he screamed and Grimmjow avoided both the blades as he leaped into him and grabbed his hair again. Grimmjow growled, but moved hold him up. He pushed him back.

"Not now, Ichi-babe!" Nnoitra growled from beside him. "You need to go back in, leave this to us."

Ichigo leaned over, dropping his head upside down in Grimmjow's grip. He grunted to keep from dropping him as he bent completely backward and put his hands on the sand and stared at Shunsui and Zaraki. He flipped then, almost taking Grimmjow with him, but he let go of him.

"Goddamn, Ichi…" he grumbled, wiping blood off his mouth again. "Will you quit fucking biting me?"

Ichigo smirked. "Kitty kiss tastes good," he said as he licked the blood of his own lips.

Ulquiorra moved up and grabbed Ichigo by the braid, pulling him backward. "Remain still," he commanded.

Ichigo looked up. "Ulqui! Don't be so mean," he said and crossed his arms and then flopped on his belly in the sand. He took the short blade and began to draw in the sand, completely ignoring everyone around him and talking under his breath.

"What…what have you done to him?" Shunsui asked.

"Me? Fixed what you did to him, as much as I could, but that kind of damage doesn't just go away. I've spent six months just trying to get him to stop harming himself. In doing so, though, he's become…important to us. So we ask you leave us alone. We have no intention of leaving Hueco Mundo. Just let us be."

"We can't do that," Shunsui said with a frown. "Not with his power, he's out of control."

"He's under my control." Aizen turned back. "Ichigo!"

Ichigo's head shot up and he scrambled to his feet and dashed over to Aizen in a sonido and dropped to his knees at his feet. He nudged Aizen with his head and stared at the other Shinigami. "Can I play now?"

"Are you leaving us?" Aizen asked.

"We're taking him back."

Ichigo stood up then. "No! I'm not going back! Master, no, don't let them take me from you!"

"I won't let them have you, my love," Aizen said as he glared at them. "You belong to us now, and none of your mates or I will let them have you."

"Mates?" Shunsui asked, frowning deeply as he glanced behind him. Several squads were converging on their location.

"Mates!" Ichigo snarled. "Don't say that! They aren't yours!" he screamed and before Aizen could move, he was off.

He appeared above Shunsui and spun, using the rotation to nearly sever one of the surprised captain's arms. He stepped back and held up his arm where part of his shihakuso and the pink kimono was shredded. Ichigo had dropped to a crouch, the chain on the long blade wrapped up his arms, and the one on the short blade loose.

"I am not going back!" he screamed and flew at Zaraki this time, the short blade flying out in front of him before he followed it. The short blade bounced off Zaraki's blade as he stared in surprise. Ichigo's eyes were glowing red. "No one is taking me back!" he screamed again and this time zipped under Zaraki's blades and up his chest to go up and over his shoulder, leaving long gouges in his chest as he went.

Shunsui moved to get around him, but he found his blades met by Grimmjow's. "No, game boy," Grimmjow growled. "You leave him the fuck alone," he growled, pushing back and sending Shunsui sliding backward in the sand. "You dare even touch him!"

Nnoitra's attack nearly severed Shunsui's arm as he joined into the fight, six arms and his heavy spiritual pressure sending several of the lower Shinigami that were approaching to the ground. "You dare fucking show up here after what you did," he growled out.

Ulquiorra had engaged with Zaraki, and Ichigo had injured several of the lower seated Shinigami that had come, when he screamed in fury. He'd been wrapped in some sort of ribbons that kept him from moving.

"I have him," Kurotsuchi's voice came from a shadow on the ground that formed into the twelfth division captain slowly. "Let's go back," he said as he opened the portal and drug him through it.

Aizen stared in disbelief as they had taken him. When Nel appeared he sent her to get the other Shinigami. He was probably going to destroy half of Soul Society in order to get Ichigo back.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Kurotsuchi was quite pleased with himself as he released the boy's bindings as he was put into the cell. He looked over to see Ukitake had come into the room.

Ichigo was screaming and beating on the clear barriers around him. Of course, it was the same cell he'd been kept in before. It was no surprise he was agitated.

"Turn on the sound," Ukitake asked.

"Let me out!" he heard as soon as he could hear Ichigo. "Let me out, I have to get out, let me out! I don't want to be alone again!"

"Ichigo, please, calm down," Ukitake said as calmly as he could. Despite his attempts to remain calm and objective, seeing Ichigo again hurt him. To know that this is what had happened because of him was almost too much for him to stand.

Ichigo put both hands on the barrier in front of him. "Let me out. I have to get out. Please. Let me out."

"No one is going to hurt you this time, Ichigo. We've brought you home now."

"No, I want to go back! This isn't home! I want my kitty! I want my puppy! I want Ulquie! Please, I need them!" he said and started to sob. "I want my Master…"

Ukitake bit his lip. "Ichigo, we're going to help you. I promise."

"I don't want help! I want my mates…" he said morosely as he slid down to his knees. "I need them." He dropped his head into both his hands and began sobbing again.

"Ukitake-taichou…" Kurotsuchi said and looked over. "You may want to see this."

Ukitake turned and looked at what he was showing him. "What am I looking at?"

"He's…well, he's with a child…" he said and looked at him. "He turned him into an Arrancar, and one of them impregnated him."

"Get rid of it, then," Ukitake said. "He cannot handle such a thing."

"I can't," Kurotsuchi said with a frown as he looked at the readings. "I can try to come up with a way, but whatever it is, it is intertwined with his reiatsu. They're one now. I'll kill him if I try to abort the child."

"How long do we have?" Ukitake asked with a sigh.

Kurotsuchi shook his head. "I've never had a hollow impregnated successfully. It seems that it was possible, but there lacked a power equivalency in my experiments before…"

"This is because of your experiments," Ukitake growled at him before turning back to Ichigo.

Ichigo looked up and put his hands on the barrier. His face had deep red markings now. "Please, I'm scared…let me out of this…please…don't leave me alone!"

"Turn off the sound," Ukitake said and walked away. He couldn't watch any longer.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Rukia certainly didn't expect the massive burst of reiatsu that came toward them. She also didn't expect it when she, Renji, Chad, and Ikkaku all went flying through the wall behind them. She heard yelling and screaming and managed to extract herself from the rubble as she saw Nel had returned with her fraccion who were all three trying to hold back a fully released Grimmjow.

"Stop!" all of them heard and they saw Imelda storming into the large common room they had been in. Even Grimmjow paused to look at her. "What is happening?"

Nel looked at her. "They took him back."

Imelda looked at Grimmjow who was glaring with barely restrained rage at the Shinigami. "They got to Ichigo."

"Yes, they fucking got to him and I'm going to fucking kill every fucking Shinigami I see until I get to him!" he growled. "I don't give a fuck how many I have to go through!"

Rukia glanced up as Kira, Shūhei, and Yumichika all came running with several other Arrancar on their heels. Imelda walked up to Grimmjow and put her hands on his face and spoke to him in a whisper for a long time until he nodded and shook off Pesche to release his resurrección. She turned to the Shinigami. "Come," she said as she put an arm around Grimmjow's shoulders and led them all to a different room. It was set up like a conference room with a large table and seats. She sat Grimmjow down and spoke to him again. He nodded and crossed his arms with a huff.

She sent someone after a tray of drinks and snacks and then turned to then. Uryū came in a few seconds later, having been summoned from his mushroom hunting with Alma. He was covered in much, but she'd given him a set of rubber pants at least. Kriya came in a short time later with Andresta. As soon as Andresta saw Grimmjow he tried to bolt, only to be blocked by Moab.

"Okay, seems we're all here," Imelda said as she walked around the table. I've convinced Grimmjow to hold off on mass murder of Shinigami until we've had a discussion. Also, I believe Nel says your instructions were to _not_ kill anyone."

"Never stopped me before. Aizen-san wouldn't be that angry as long as I brought one or two back alive…" he growled, glaring at each of the Shinigami in turn.

Suddenly Andresta ran to Grimmjow and threw himself on the floor before him, surprising him. He looked up with teary eyes. "Please! Kill me, I beg you! Take my life in revenge!"

Grimmjow sniffed the air and cocked his head to the side before his hand reached out and snatched the prostrate Arrancar up by the throat. "You're one of them…" he muttered.

"Please! You are within your rights to kill me!"

"Stop this, Andresta! Grimmjow!" Imelda said with a sigh. Grimmjow looked at her and arched one blue brow.

"It's my right to kill this little bastard. I have first claim, even if I spare him, five others have the claim to kill him."

Imelda nodded. "I know it is, Grimmjow, please, do not. He has suffered greatly for what he was forced to do. I will deal with the others, but I ask you, for the moment, do not kill him."

Grimmjow growled and tossed him to the floor where he continued to sob into his arms. "Fine," he growled and looked away from him.

"What is happening?" Orihime said from where she saw quietly beside the others.

Nel spoke up. "Your armies have abandoned you to Hueco Mundo. They got what they came for, Itsygo, and they've left."

Renji blinked. "They left? All of them?" he said and looked at the others. "They just…abandoned us?"

"Of course they fucking did, idiot!" Grimmjow growled. "You think they fucking care about any one of you? After what they did to Cero?"

Rukia nodded. "I…I can't…"

"Don't fucking talk to me, you midget bitch," Grimmjow growled and slammed both hands on the table. "Don't you even deem it okay to speak to me. After what you did to your best friend. He told us. Took six months to decipher the fucked up shit he was saying, you know. Six months to even understand what the _fuck_ happened to him. Six goddamned months of trying to keep him from ripping his guts open or his throat and practically dismembering half the Arrancar he came across because he was so fucking scared out of his mind of what they were going to do to him!"

Rukia had paled considerably, as had most the others, but Grimmjow continued. "He fucking has to have one of us with him or he fucking tries to hurt himself, even now as an Arrancar! He fights like a goddamned demon and we can't stop him sometimes, and Szayel has to put him back together! Severed hands, arms, legs, you have no idea! Water's the only thing that can calm him down most the time, and then Sōsuke has to hold him while he's in it so he doesn't accidently drown himself!"

Grimmjow stood now, shifting without even thinking into resurrección and his claws extending into the surface of the table. "He is ours, not yours. You turned on him, and we fucking picked up the pieces and put him together again! You were going to kill him! You don't care about him for shit other than what he represents! You want him back because you think we'll use his power against you! No one uses him anymore; do you understand me? He's not a weapon! He's not a thing! You let this happen! You don't love him like you say! We do!"

Imelda had come up and put her arm around Grimmjow's back and now they heard her as she whispered. "Grimmjow, please, this isn't helping get him back to you. You need to calm yourself. I know how much it hurts to lose your mate, just sit, let your resurrección go, please…"

Grimmjow nodded, closing his eyes and releasing his resurrección again and sitting down. He was looking away though.

"Mate?" Rukia whispered.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes, mate, you bunch of fucking idiots. It took six of us to keep him alive. Six of us to mark him and claim him to remove the poison in his spirit because of your fucking researcher forcing lesser hollows to mate him," he said as he glared at the still supplicant looking Andresta.

The Shinigami looked at Imelda who nodded. "I feared that was the case when Andresta told us that he'd been forced to mate him. Who?"

"Starrk, me, Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, Szayel, and Jatya. Jatya was one like Andresta. Ichigo forgave him, and took him as a mate, so…" Grimmjow sighed and glanced at Andresta who was looking up. "None of us will kill him, Imelda, don't worry. It would make Ichigo sad if we did. He doesn't want us killing anyone."

Imelda patted his back. "Alright, you said that Aizen wanted you to bring them to him?"

"Yeah, he's going to get him back. We are. We're not going to let that fucking kill them."

"Them," Imelda said with a narrowed eye. "He's…oh Grimmjow, that's why you're so upset. You said you were his first claim."

Grimmjow shifted uncomfortably. "Szayel just told us today, he doesn't even know yet. Not that it matters, he wouldn't understand it unless he's lucid. But I was going to tell him. Then the fucking Shinigami showed up, and I…"

"Tell him what?" Renji asked as he looked at him, fearing he knew the answer.

"That he's carrying my kit," Grimmjow said, his anger giving way to exhaustion. "I'm the first one that claimed him, the chances of him carrying my kit were the highest, of course. I knew it was likely, he's been rather…clingy to me lately." He reached up and touched the sore spot on his lip where he'd bitten him a short while ago. "He could have conceived a child with any of us, but…Szayel confirmed it was mine this time. They…betas…have some say in it, force of will."

Rukia's hands when to her mouth. "But…Kurotsuchi-taichou…that's what he was trying to do the whole time, get him to become pregnant by a hollow, to watch the birthing process, to experiment with it…if he's…"

Renji nodded. "He's in more danger now than he was. But he'll keep him alive, if only for that reason," he said and glanced at the others. She nodded. "Take us to Aizen. We're going to help you get Ichigo back."


	9. When They Face the Harm

Imelda sighed and looked at the group. It was up to her to decide who she was going to take. Obviously, she was taking Grimmjow. He wasn't about to let a team go to Soul Society without him. She rubbed a hand over her forehead.

"I would like some of the Shinigami to remain here," she said softly. "I hate to say it, but I fear that if you all return, your people will attempt to imprison us upon entry. So you aren't expected to stay, but…I would ask if some of you would."

Renji and Rukia exchanged a glance. "We should return, since I'm a lieutenant and her brother is my captain. Ikkaku and Yumichika, would you like to stay here?" Renji asked, glancing at them.

"I think we could. I'm quite enjoying these Arrancar," Yumichika said with a smirk at Ikkaku.

Kira looked up. "I'd prefer to stay," he said with a sigh. "I want to help the ones in your medical if I can."

Shūhei nodded. "I'd also like to stay. There is a great deal of potential here, and I'd like to examine things closely." Shūhei didn't mention that he was growing attached to those in Agartha.

"Very well, come," she said, motioning the two Shinigami and Grimmjow after her. She stopped and turned to look at them. "I am entrusting you to lead this," she said as she looked at Rukia and Renji. "I will not submit to your people's control. I have my children here, and my mate. I may seem a very calm and passive individual, but I warn you, as you've seen with Grimmjow, our reactions are extreme when we are separated from our mates."

Rukia nodded and watched as Maxi, the strange owl Arrancar came up to join them with Nel. "I understand, Imelda. I can offer no guarantees on what my people will do, though. I will do all I can."

Imelda nodded and glanced at Grimmjow. "And you. You must control yourself. We have no way of knowing what they will do to him if we are not careful."

Grimmjow nodded and sighed deeply. "I know. I know." He ducked his head and tucked his thumbs into the band of hakama he wore.

Imelda nodded. "Please, lead the way," she said to Rukia and Renji.

Moments later, they stepped out into the Seireitei. It didn't take long for them to be surrounded by black clad Shinigami, with Shunsui and Byakuya appearing at the head.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia called, running up with both hands raised out in front of the Arrancar. "Wait! Please!"

Byakuya and Shunsui both had weapons drawn and eyes narrowed at the four Arrancar standing behind Rukia and Renji. "What is this?" Shunsui asked.

"Diplomacy," Imelda said as she stepped forward. She bowed slightly. "I come representing the Agarthan Arrancar of Hueco Mundo. Grimmjow comes representing the Arrancar of Las Noches. It is in all of our best interests to try and find a solution to this situation that does not result in all out violence. Doing so will cause many people to die. I am sure you are aware that there are sufficient forces in Las Noches alone to do great damage to your Soul Society, and that is not counting those that reside in Agartha below it. When two groups like ours clash, the damage is great. I would like to avoid that."

Shunsui and Byakuya exchanged a glance. "Where are our other people?" Shunsui asked.

"Safe, they chose to stay in Agartha when we returned," Imelda said, glancing at Rukia for confirmation.

"It is true, Nii-sama. We've been with the Agarthans, and they've treated us very well. We've seen a lot, and I think it is important to talk to them," Rukia said and watched as both the captains seemed to have relaxed. "Imelda asked if they wanted to return, and they didn't want to. Kira and Shūhei are both helping with some medical issues, and Yumichika and Ikkaku have been studying some of the fighting techniques they have."

Byakuya nodded. "I'll inform the head captain. Remain here."

"I want to see Ichigo, now," Grimmjow said, both hands fists at his side. Beside him, Nel reached out and gripped his wrist. She didn't speak, though. She merely glared at the others. "I want to see that he's safe."

Shunsui tilted his head to the side. "That's impossible."

"You filthy son of a bitch, if you don't…" he growled.

"Grimmjow, please," Imelda said, putting a hand on his chest. "Do not get upset. We need to deal with this peacefully if we can. It is in the demands I will relay to their leader."

"If they don't let me see him…" he growled, eyes flashing at Shunsui. Nel also centered her glare on him as well.

Shunsui's confusion was indescribable at the moment. What he was seeing was real. There was a fury in the Arrancar before him that was true emotion. It wasn't something he was doing under orders. He actually cared about what happened to Ichigo and his distress came from not being sure if he was safe.

"He's safe," Shunsui said.

"He isn't safe as long as he's in that fucking research Shinigami's hands!" Grimmjow growled. "He's carrying my kit, and I swear to all three worlds, if you fucking do something to our kit, I will gut you!"

Byakuya returned. "The head captain wants us to bring them to meet."

"I want to see Ichigo." Grimmjow's fury was seemingly permanently etched into his brows.

Shunsui nodded. "We can request to have him brought to the meeting room," he said finally.

"That is satisfactory," Imelda said and glanced at the infuriated Grimmjow who nodded curtly.

They were escorted to a large room with a conference table and seated at one end. A few moments later, the head captain and his lieutenant came in to stand at the end. The rest of the captains filtered into the room, all seating themselves. The head captain locked eyes with Imelda.

"I am Sou Taichou Yamamoto. Do you lead your people?" he asked her.

"The Agarthan Arrancar have no leader. I simply am one of the more diplomatic of my people." She glanced at Grimmjow. "And one of the few that Grimmjow will listen to. I believe that you are familiar with Nelliel. This is Maxi, another of the Agarthan Arrancar who I brought with me. Grimmjow represents Las Noches, and upon finding that Shinigami had come to Agartha was brought to us by Nel. He has been reasonable, and I believe his request to see his mate is not unwarranted. Ichigo carries his young. It is only appropriate."

The head captain was quiet for a long moment. He turned to Kurotsuchi. "Retrieve Ichigo."

"You can't seriously…" he started.

"I ordered you to retrieve the boy. Do so, Kurotsuchi-taichou."

Kurotsuchi glared at them and left the room. The head captain turned back to them. "Tell me what it is that you have come here for."

"To return Ichigo to his mates in Hueco Mundo, and perhaps form some sort of alliance with Soul Society. We offer no reason to attack us, and in turn, if we can come to a reasonable agreement, there is no reason for our people to attack you," Imelda said.

"You request much. Why should we come to this sort of agreement?" Yamamoto asked.

Imelda sighed. "Ichigo is one of ours now. He is an Arrancar, and he is a beta, meaning that his protection is part of every fiber of our being. Every alpha in Hueco Mundo would come to the defense of a beta of his strength. I would also fight to return him to his place with his mates, especially as one that will give birth in the near future. My own mate recently birthed twins, and I will do what I must to return to him. However, I will not watch another alpha lose their mate."

"Your mate?" Ukitake asked as he looked at her.

"My mate gave birth recently. He and the twins are still in Agartha. I believe your Shinigami named…Yumichika had taken a liking to playing with them," Imelda said with a nod.

"Yer the girl, though," Zaraki said with a frown.

Imelda sighed deeply but before she could answer, Rukia spoke up. "The gender doesn't matter, the beta gives birth in a pair. Hollows have no real gender, only the gender they express."

The door opened and they all winced as they heard a shriek as Ichigo broke away from Kurotsuchi's grip and lunged at Grimmjow. Grimmjow's face lit up and he caught him, the seat he was in sliding backward from the force Ichigo slammed into him with.

"Kitty, kitty, kitty," Ichigo muttered as he proceeded to wrap every limb around him as tightly as he could.

"Hey, there, there, easy," Grimmjow said as he adjusted him to straddle his lap. He managed to pull him onto his lap and unhook his feet from behind him. "I'm here, I'm here," he whispered.

"So scared, they put me in there, I was crying for kitty," he sobbed into his shoulder. "Don't let them put me back in there, please, I hate it, I hate it…"

Grimmjow's hands flexed around his back and he looked almost in tears himself. "Shh, just settle down, we're trying to work this out, okay?"

Ichigo's only response was to grip him tighter and heave a shaky sob into his shoulder again. "I know about it," he whispered then. "I feel it."

Grimmjow nodded and bit his lip. "Okay, Ichi-baby, it's okay," he said even though he didn't believe it at the moment. All he knew, though, was that he was not going to let them take him away, no matter what. He had him in his arms, and he was not going to let him go again.

"Explain what has occurred to the substitute Shinigami."

Rukia took a breath and stood. "I do not know all the details that but Grimmjow will be able to fill in, I am certain. What we found was that these Arrancar had left Las Noches to form an independent underground city. While we were there, we were treated well. Many of those that had left Las Noches had done so to get away from Aizen. However, they have several Arrancar that are…damaged." She glanced at Kurotsuchi and back at the others. "Kurotsuchi's experimental subjects weren't all destroyed. Some were released into Hueco Mundo."

"Impossible!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed. "All subjects were destroyed."

"They would have been, if Aaroniero hadn't been here pretending to be a member of the twelfth division," Grimmjow said, still rubbing Ichigo's back as he clung to him. "Aaroniero released them."

"They ended up being in various states of functionality when they came to us," Imelda said, looking at the researcher, now understanding much by looking at him. "Some, like Jatya who became one of Ichigo's mates, were healed by the hogyuku, but there are still consequences. Others were left mute or with severe mental issues like our Iris."

"Continue. What has occurred in Las Noches that has changed Sōsuke Aizen's mission to destroy us," Yamamoto said.

"This little shit," Grimmjow muttered, hands threading through his hair. "It wasn't supposed to happen," he said in response to the curious looks. "No, it wasn't. Aizen wanted him to use him. Then I'll be damned if Aizen started to care about him. We figured out that that bastard," he said and nodded toward Kurotsuchi. "He'd put low powered hollows with him and forced them to mate him. Doing so caused his spiritual energy to become…poisoned. Ya can't do that. A powerful beta can't be taken by a lower powered alpha or it kills 'em. It's just the way it is. Only way to deal with it was to overpower it. So we had to mate him. Our reiatsu had to destroy the poisoned reiatsu. It took six of us, but we managed it. And to make sure that he didn't die, Aizen used the hogyuku on him in hopes to heal him." Grimmjow sighed. "It helped, but it didn't cure him completely. He's still fucking crazy as a fuck, thanks to what you fucking people did to him."

"What do you mean by that?" Toshiro asked, eyes locked on the figure that didn't look like the Ichigo he remembered at all.

Grimmjow sighed and spun Ichigo around to face them. His eyes bulged and he tried to turn back. "Stop. Be still."

Ichigo's body froze and he blinked rapidly, staring at the others. His hands clung tightly to Grimmjow's where they were wrapped around his waist.

"Tell them what happened," Grimmjow said. "I know you don't want to, but you need to. Tell them."

"Raining fire on the bubble, was breaking, and poisoned, it broke almost but they got there, swimming through the fires…" he said panting.

"Ichigo, no. Not like that," Grimmjow said quietly as he clutched his hands tighter around his waist. "Clear. Focus for a little while. I promise, I'll give you something to play with if you do this for me, Ichi-baby, okay? Something red to play in."

Ichigo's eyes lit up immediately and he tilted his head to the side. "Promise, kitty?"

"Promise. But you gotta give it a try."

Ichigo closed his eyes and bit down on his lip, so it was obvious he was trying to do what Grimmjow asked. His brows knitted together and he opened his eyes, but this time they were bleeding into the black and gold.

"Not much time," he muttered in calmer voice. It was almost recognizable as his own to those around the table. "Shiro and Zangetsu…swam through the water…my insanity…" he said haltingly blinking as the black tried to edge out of his eyes for a moment. "They found what remained of my sanity. Wasn't much, just a little, but they hid inside it. Appears as a bubble in my inner world. A bubble in a sea of black. There was lightning. The poisoned reiatsu. It tried to burst the bubble, but Sōsuke understood. The mating cycle destroyed it. Couldn't stop it; was dying already." Ichigo's breath sped up for a second as the black started bleeding slowly from his left eye toward the right. "Losing it, losting it…."

"Do as much as you can," Grimmjow said as he gently stroked Ichigo's head.

"Dying. I felt it. The world was crushing me. Butterflies… no. No. I just wanted to not be scared," he whispered, blinking as the black and yellow was almost gone from his left. "Blood was water, still is, flowing life and everything…red." He swallowed and gripped hard to Grimmjow's hands. "They make me sane. They're the only ones that make it better…" he panted out as the color started leeching from his right eye. "Almost gone, bubble bursting in the red bloody rain…" he shook the thought away again. "No, I can't…I know I'm crazy. I know it, and I have clarity now and then, and it…it all makes no sense…but I know the hogyuku…answers to me…"

As he said the last, the black bled out of his right eye and he looked up suddenly and started snatching at something unseen, muttering about "them escaping". Grimmjow patted his leg. "Okay, baby, promise you," he muttered.

To the surprise of everyone except the other Arrancar, Grimmjow used his teeth to cut open his palm. Ichigo's attention shifted to the bleeding wound as Grimmjow moved his hand over the white tile of the floor. He let the blood drip until there was a decent pile before he close his hand into a fist and swatted Ichigo's leg.

"There you go, I promised."

Ichigo scrambled off Grimmjow's lap with a near screech of glee and dropped to his stomach. He started humming to himself and drawing in the blood with his finger.

"What the…" Renji asked as he looked up at Grimmjow.

"We usually keep cans of red pain or red pencil around Las Noches anywhere he's going to be. That and sweets. Only two things that will occupy him for any length of time," Grimmjow explained as he watched Ichigo draw then scribble the drawings out and start again. "Has to be red, though. Nothing else works. Paint's better than entrails, though. That was a mess…"

"What was a mess? Entrails?" Shinji asked with a frown from his position.

"Because of the forced mating with hollows," Grimmjow said as he glared at Kurotsuchi. "He would attack and destroy any alpha he ran into that was rutting. Didn't matter what we did at first, he'd just fucking tackle them and rip them to shreds with his bare hands. No claws, no powers, he was that scared of them that it didn't matter. I mean, it was better than his tendency to rip his own fingers and such off."

The captains were quiet for a long time. "We will have to discuss this among ourselves. You will be shown to temporary lodgings. Please return Kurosaki…"

Grimmjow's eyes snapped to the head captain. "Don't fucking think about it Shinigami. I will fucking kill every one of you or die trying if you try to take him out of my presence again."

The room went silent for a few moments until it was Nelilel that spoke up. "It would be in your best interest in surviving this visit from us that you not separate one of our own from us. Itsygo is an Arrancar. You've lost him, and there will be no debate on this fact. Our negotiatios with you are moot if you refuse this."

The silence extended for another few minutes and the head captain nodded. "Place Kurosaki in a secure room with those that wish to remain with him. The others may have a separate room if they like. Kuchiki Rukia, escort them to the fourth division. Allow Unohana to run exams while they are there."

Rukia nodded and stood up. "Please, follow me," she said.

Grimmjow leaned over and snatched Ichigo up around the waist and he fought the grip for a moment before he sighed and relaxed. "Kitty…" he muttered. "Wanna walk."

Grimmjow set Ichigo onto his feet but he grabbed the still bleeding hand and started licking his palm. "Brat," Grimmjow said as he put that arm around his shoulders while he laved his tongue over the wound.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"You cannot be seriously considering their demands!" Kurotsuchi said as soon as the door had shut.

The head captain was silent. "Of coruse we have to!" Shinji said. "I wasn't involved in what you did to Ichigo. I wasn't installed as a captain yet. You decided to hurt him like this. Take responsibility for it."

"I've tried to do so," Ukitake said with a sigh.

"Your solution is to execute him!" Toshiro, surprisingly, snapped at the other white haired captain.

"You act as though he's living a life worth living! What you did to him in my absence is unforgivable!" Ukitake snapped back at him.

"What…no, you aren't seriously thinking that killing him is an option?" Renji said, still standing at Byakuya's shoulder. "Ya can't do that. He's alive. He's in there. Ya can't just kill him."

"From what we just saw, it would be mercy," Soi Fon said with a sigh.

"No." The head captain said simply, having everyone turn toward him. "There is no reason to put Kurosaki Ichigo to death. Hirako-taichou is correct. This situation is our responsibility and putting the substitute Shinigami is only an attempt to absolve ourselves."

Everyone was silent. "What would we request in exchange for returning him to Aizen?" Shunsui asked, looking up to the others. "We are returning him, correct? He's been transformed by the hogyuku, and admitted to having mastered the item even if it is in Aizen's possession."

"He's insane! How can we trust anything he says?" Kurotsuchi said with a shake of his head. "It was all nonsense, everything he spoke!"

"I understood perfectly," Byakuya, who had been silent up until this point said. "The Zanpakutō spirits were able to maintain a small aspect of his sanity in the depths of his soul. The forced mating injected foreign spiritual energy into his own, but it was not powerful enough, so it was slowly poisoning him. They hypothesized that introducing appropriate mates to him would eliminate the poison. The process worked. Since that time, he has regained some clarity and intermittent sanity."

Everyone stared at him as he looked back placidly. "It would behoove us to use this opportunity to gain and advantage in the situation."

"An advantage?" Ukitake said as he looked at him.

"Yes. The threat from Aizen is significant. We can negotiate a treaty and include stipulations that are to our benefit. We can perhaps also forge an alliance with these Agarthan Arrancar. Doing so would mean we could keep abreast of anything that Aizen does, and would offer us freedom to come and go diplomatically to Hueco Mundo," Byakuya continued.

There was a long silence until Ukitake spoke up. "Perhaps…there may be other options to ending Ichigo's life. I still believe that it is a viable option. The quality of life he has…"

"His quality of life is fine," Zaraki snorted. "He may be crazy, but so are half of us. So he likes to play in blood and gut fuckin' things that scare him? So what? Seen more blood in my time than I can measure and I enjoyed every minute. If you remember, I was the only one that didn't believe that bullshit story you all fell for."

"Zaraki-taichou, I am not sure this is the same thing as your lust for battle…" Ukitake said with a sigh.

"What does it matter? We fucked him up. We messed his head up. Own up to it. We fucked him over good. So who are we to deny him going back to Hueco Mundo to be with the people he wants to be with?" Zaraki said with narrowed eyes.

The silence that followed was the only confirmation that those in room needed.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo was successfully wrapped around Grimmjow as much as possible. He was asleep, and Grimmjow just sat on the floor with his back against one of the walls and didn't want to let go. He looked up as Nel sat down beside him.

"You'd really fight for him to go home with me?" Grimmjow asked her.

She smiled gently. "Yeah, I would."

The door opened and Imelda stood there with Maxi. He made an excited screechy noise. "They're sending us back with the offer. They won't let us take Ichigo, but they said Grimmjow can stay with him. Kuchiki-taichou will be going to make the negotiations in person with Aizen. Nel, will you be staying with them, or returning?" she asked.

"I'll return. I know Aizen," she said as she stood up. "I should be able speak reasonably to him if no one else can talk to him." She stopped and looked at Grimmjow. "You just worry about him, Grimm. We'll be back for both of you, otherwise, they're not getting any of their Shinigami back," she said with a half smile.

Grimmjow nodded. He didn't care. He was here with Ichigo, and that was what mattered. Imelda and Nel headed with the Shinigami into Hueco Mundo. Before long, they stood at the gates of Las Noches. Byakuya and Shunsui had come. Shunsui intended to go to the Agarthan Arrancar's home when they were done.

"The fuck ya want," the tall Nnoitra said from the top of the wall. "I don't see Ichigo with you or Grimmjow."

"We came to make an offer at negotiations on the matter," Shunsui called back. "Kuchiki-taichou and I come with the authority of the Sou-taichou to make arrangements that benefit both of our people."

There was a long wait until a door opened and Nel led them through it and into the "throne" room as they called Aizen's perched seat.

"Where is he?" Aizen asked as soon as they entered. He was sitting with his hands folded in his lap. His face was inscruitble to any present. Around him stood Jatya, Nnoitra, Szayel, Starrk, and Ulquiorra. None looked pleased at the moment.

"He is safe, Aizen," Byakuya said with a sigh. "We're not here to antagonize you. We simply felt it a safety measure to wait until an agreement was reached before he is returned. Grimmjow is with him as we speak under Unohana's care, not Kurotsuchi's."

Aizen glanced at Nel. She nodded. "What he says is true," Nel commented.

"What are the points of this agreement you propose," Aizen said with what they now saw was grit teeth.

Byakuya and Shunsui exchanged surprised glances. Both recalled Ichigo saying that the hogyuku answered to him now.

"The agreement is for peaceful relations between Soul Society, the Agarthan Arrancar, and Las Noches. Your crimes against Soul Society warrant interment in the Maggot's Nest, however, the Sou-Taichou is willing to supplant that with permanent exile to Hueco Mundo. If you leave Hueco Mundo, either to the world of the Living or Soul Society, the agreement is null and void," Shunsui started.

"Whatever banal desires they have, I will agree to, just return Ichigo," Aizen said with a huff.

Now Shunsui was surprised. He didn't wish for any negotiation at all? He was just going to agree to it if he had Ichigo returned?

Shunsui cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, um, also there is a non aggression agreement between the Arrancar and Soul Society, and any Arrancar that are caught violating this will be punished accordingly."

"And Shinigami," Nel said, glancing at them.

Shunsui nodded. "Of course."

"Anything else? I want him back as soon as possible," Aizen said, starting to get irritated. "I am sure you feel lofty about this. I will agree to it. Not because I want to spare your lives, but because I fear you will hurt him again if I do what I desire." Aizen stood up and stared at them. "You think I acquiesce easily. You are wrong. I want him back and I will have him back, no matter what. You have put me in a position that you have the thing most precious to me that I will sacrifice everything for. You believe I cannot feel this way, but you are wrong. I would wage war on all of Soul Society and leave none living in my wake if Ichigo told me that was what he wanted."

Byakuya glanced at Shunsui and back at Aizen. "You know that it would be detrimental to all of your forces. Again."

"All those would sacrifice if it pleased Ichigo. But it does not. He, in some functional part of his soul, still believes in you all. He still loves you, even. He wants none of you to die. And while I could cut any of you down without a second thought because of what you've done…" Aizen sighed. "I won't because he would become saddened that I did such a thing in his name. When he is lucid, he makes it clear, he wants no death on account of him. So it for that reason that I do not gather more forces than you can imagine and rip a whole through the worlds and destroy every Shinigami in my path."

"I do not understand why he is so important to you and these Arrancar you brought back with the hogyuku…" Shunsui said with genuine confusion.

"Do not question my devotion to him," Aizen snapped and glared at the two of them. "Tell Yamamoto that I agree, but I Ichigo isn't returned to me very soon, I will gather every Arrancar I can recruit and launch an assault on Soul Society the likes of which you cannot imagine."

Aizen turned his back on them and left the room. The other five Arrancar stared for a moment. Nnoitra spoke up first.

"You have no idea the strength of will it takes for me not to rip your fucking heads from your shoulders at the moment," he muttered and turned to leave as well.

"I'll return with you," Szayel said to Byakuya. "I want to check on him and the kit."

"You are the scientist?" Shunsui said as he glanced at him.

"Yeah, closest thing to a doctor we have and I've been handling Ichigo's needs since he's been here," Szayel said as he crossed his arms.

Starrk yawned. "Yes, ensure his safety, Szayel, I must nap before he returns, Ichigo will wear me out quickly again." Ulquiorra only stared before he turned and followed Starrk.

Jatya looked between the shinigami. "You have no understanding what your scientist did to us. We may have been adjunca hollows, but to do something so horrible to any creature that is aware…" he said and shook his head in annoyance before he, too, left.

Imelda looked at Shunsui. "Would you like to be shown to Agartha while your fellow returns to Soul Society?"

Shunsui nodded. "Yes, please, madam Imelda. Kuchiki-taichou can return with Aizen's agreement, and I can enjoy your world."

"I'll return with them, Imelda. Maxi can stay in Agartha with you and the babies. I hate to see you separated for too long," Nel said with a smile at her.

"Thank you, Nel, please, lead us outside and I'll escort the taichou here to our entrance," she said with a nod at them.

A few moments later, Shunsui had disappeared into an entrance to Agartha with Imelda and Maxi. Nel had led the way back to Soul society with Byakuya and Szayel. If anyone noticed that they were being watched, they did to mention it to their fellows.


	10. When They Reach Out

Chapter Ten

When They Reach Out

Shunsui wasn't sure what to expect with a society of Arrancar. He knew that he was going to be seeing something entirely new, and considering that he was Yama-jii's eyes in this case, he was going to have to pay attention. He walked with the Imelda and Maxi as she took them through a veritable maze of corridors in the underground world that they lived in. He was fascinated by the whole of the place.

"Who do you wish to see first? I know where your men Kira and Hisagi are likely located. They were working with our medical staff," Imelda asked as they came into a larger open area.

"Yes, that would be fine. If you will show me there, my dear, I would appreciate it," Shunsui answered with a grin, tipping his hat at her.

When they came to a doorway she stopped, turning to the owlish looking Arrancar. "Please, go tell Dima that I've returned and will be there soon."

"Hoot-hoot," he answered and took off. Imelda smiled and led him into what Shunsui guessed was the medial ward. He immediately saw that the concern was unwarranted. Kira was indeed there, coaxing a Arrancar that was apparently a patient into eating.

"Now, there, good girl," he was saying as they approached. "Good, almost gone, look!" he said showing the near empty bowl he was holding to the female Arrancar sitting on the bed. She was watching him intently, and when he scooped the food, some sort of porriage, onto a spoon, she would take a bite.

"Well, if you aren't impressive," Imelda said as they approached. He turned and smiled.

"Imelda, and Kyōraku-taichou! I didn't expect you to come here," he said with a smile. "I supposed I've spent too long away."

"Kira!" Iris said, getting both Imelda and Kira to stare at her. Imelda gasped.

"Goodness, I've yet to hear her speak! I've got to tell Kriya! Wait here Shinigami," she said and took off to the other side.

"This one doesn't speak?" Shunsui asked.

Kira shook his head. "No, normally she just weeps and cries, sometimes wails," Kira said scooping more food onto a wooden spoon. "She's so sweet though, gentle, really. They have no idea what Kurotsuchi-taichou did to her, or the others, really, during his experiments. But she was left this way. She has to be cared for all the time, and only a few people can convince her to eat anything," he said sadly.

Kriya came up quickly. "She spoke?" she asked, looking at her then Kira.

"She said my name," Kira answered, scraping out the bowl of the last bits of food. "She ate for me again, too," he said as he offered her the last bit.

She then smiled, and spoke again. "Kira." Without warning, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Kira, burying her face in his neck. "Love Kira."

Kira patted her back. "Oh, Iris," he said with a smile. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to go home, but can you eat for Kriya and Imelda now?"

She let go and covered her face, tears immediately sprining to her eyes. She started to sob behind her hands. Kira gasped.

"Iris, no, please, I'll be back, I promise, I have to go just for a little while. I promise, I'll come back," he assured her. He reached out and pulled her hands away from her tearful eyes. "I will come back, but I have to go check in where I live. I promise you, okay?"

She nodded. "Kira," she said sadly.

"Well, we're not leaving yet, Kira-fukutaichou. Stay with this lovely lady a while longer. Where is Hisagi?"

"I think he was with Lel, over on the other side," Kira said as Iris stared at him.

"I'll show you," Imelda said as she led him around the other side where Hisagi was sitting with Lel. They were both eating lunch like Irish had been.

When he heard them, Shūhei stood up. "Kyōraku-taichou!"

"Hisagi-fukutaichou, how are you? Have you made a friend of one of these Arrancar?" he asked.

"Yeah, this is Lel. He's a bit hard to understand at times," he said with a nod toward him.

Lel turned toward Shūhei. "Did the sun every explode?" he asked. "I hope it exploded, the sun was like a piece of fire."

Shūhei sighed. "That's all he ever talks about. The sun, stars, planets. Not sure what the hell Kurotsuchi-taichou did to this one, but he's definitely got some problems," he muttered as he sipped his tea.

"Planets, huh?" Shunsui said with a frown. "Maybe he could be thinking about how he looks. He's always got those weird visages."

Shūhei nodded. "That could be. Hey, Lel, was the sun the one who did weird things to you?" he asked.

Lel looked at him. "Hot," he muttered. "Wished the sun would explode."

Shunsui sighed. "I'd say that is a pretty good indication that yes. Well, where are my other people?" he asked.

"I'd assume the couple is with Dima. The feminine one likes out twins," Imelda said with a smile as she led them to a large outdoor area. "As I expected, Dima's already got them running by the water.

Shunsui saw a male Arrancar who was running along the banks of an underground lake. Behind him were two tiny Arrancar that were giggling and trying to keep up with him. He would stop, let them catch up then zip away from them for a few feet and stop again.

"Dima, love!" Imelda called.

Dima looked up, eyes wide and a second later he was wrapped around Imelda. The two tiny Arrancar were running to catch up with him. "Imelda!" he gasped. "I've missed you, the twins have been busy growing, see?" he said as they came up.

"Aw, Liron, Lior, my loves," she said as she kneeled, picking up the two little ones. "Dima, this is one of their taichou, Kyroaku-taichou."

"Oh, did you get Ichigo taken care of? That poor creature," he muttered, petting the heads of the little ones.

"You all know of that situation?" Shunsui asked, smiling as Imelda handed him a squirming baby Arrancar.

"All of us did, we could feel it every time one of them claimed him," Dima snorted. "Hell, that's what sent half our betas in to heat!" he said with a smirk. "Luckily I was already knocked up, but otherwise…even though I was pregnant, I still felt it."

"I don't understand, claiming caused those here to be thrown into this cycle?" Shunsui asked as Lior tried to climb his head.

Imelda nodded. "The release of such massive amounts of energy from those powerful alphas…every one of us were sent to rutting at the very least, and some of the betas went immediately into heat. We should be having quite a crop of babies in another couple months time!" she said with a smirk. "But it only works when the claiming happens."

"This claiming is greatly significant, isn't it?" Shunsui asked as the small creature snatched his hat and started chewing the edge.

"You saw Ichigo's neck, he has six. One for each alpha. They're bite marks, like this," she said and turned Dima's head to the side where a circular mark stood out against his skin. It was faded, but it was obvious that it wasn't like a normal mark. "At first, of course, it is bloody, a literal bite, but we infuse it with reiatsu, as I told the others, it is a way of announcing, beware, I've claimed this beta, and if you touch them, I'll kill you."

"It is animal-like," Shunsui said with a nod, sighing as the little Arrancar tried to jump out of his arms with his hat. He managed to transfer the baby to Dima again. He looked at the soaked edge of his hat and shook it before putting it back on.

"Dima!" came a familiar sounding voice, and Shunsui turned to see Ikkaku and Yumichika walking down the beach toward them. He smirked. Both were barefoot, and Yumichika was wearing some sort of kimono, while Ikkaku was in something that looked like rubber pants and no shirt. "Oh, it's Kyōraku-taichou," Yumichika said as they jogged toward them.

"You both seem to have gone rather native," Shunsui said with a smirk.

"Sorry, ah, I was helping dig mushrooms and Yumichika was helping with herb picking," Ikkaku said with a smirk. "Ishida is off with the girls again."

"He did take a liking to Artemisia and Ratri. I think Chad went with them too, Artemisia is an archer. She really thought Ishida was something with his bow showing up like it does. I left Inoue over with Kerest, he was showing her some medicinal herbs that he grows," Yumichika said with a smirk.

Shunsui smiled as the other baby managed to claw his way up his side to sit on his shoulder. Imelda watched amused as Liron had decided that if his twin got to chew on Shunsui's hat, he should too. He was now sitting, hands clutching the side, and busily gnawing at the straw.

"Ah, Imelda-san, I think your boys need straw in their diet. Perhaps when I return again, I will bring them some hats of their own," he said as Imelda extracted Shunsui's hat from Liron's teeth. Unfortunately, this time, there was a small chunk torn away. Shunsui twirled his hat and smiled at the spot. "I must say, that is the first time my hat has ever been eaten."

"Sorry about that, they're born with teeth," she said as she passed Liron back to Dima. Both babies wanted to chew on Shunsui's hat now. "They're only a few days old, but already a handful! Ichigo's babe will no doubt be born with a full set of fangs, considering that Grimmjow is a panther Arrancar."

"Oh, if you want to find Artemisia, I think she and Ratri had gone home for the day. I believe the human males were in tow. But the female is still down with Kerest," he said as he gazed down the beach.

"My dear Imelda, might you escort me to check on Inoue-san?" Shunsui said with a smirk. "My hat can only take so much chewing."

"Oi!" Dima said as both babies were trying to climb up Shunsui's kimono.

"Kyroku-taichou, are we to be heading back?" Ikkaku asked.

Sighing, Shunsui nodded. "Yes, the head captain will not be satisfied until all our people have returned."

"They did agree to let Ichigo go home, right?" Yumichika asked. "Because they can't keep him in Soul Society. He needs to be with his mates."

Shunsui nodded. "They are taking Aizen's agreement to our terms now. Ichigo should be coming back soon."

"That's good. He deserves to be happy, and he'll be happy with them. They won't let anything hurt him, and if the head captain tries to keep him away from them, they will tear soul society apart to get him," Ikkaku said with absolute surety.

"Come, I'll let you meet our herbalist. Oh, I think Alma's there too," Imelda said as she walked them down the beach where a pudgy, short Arrancar stood beside Orihime. He had pitch black hair with white spikes sticking out all over it. His face was very round and he looked vaguely rodent like with his long nose and small eyes. The taller, rubber clad female Arrancar was leaning over the table he was working on watching.

"So, this one is poison in large doses," he was saying as they approached. "Remember, the dose makes the poison. This amount can cure someone of…" he paused and realized people had approached.

Imelda smiled and nodded. "Alma, Kerest, and Inoue, how are you three?" she asked.

"Oh, good, I was just listening to Kerest go on about his herbs. He's got as many herbs as I have mushrooms," Alma said with a smirk. "But I gotta go back to work. Time to dig for the good ones," she said and waved as she left.

"Kyroku-taichou!" Orihime said with a grin. "Does this mean that Ichigo has gone back to the Arrancar in Las Noches?"

"Not just yet, but soon," Shunsui said. Her hands were covered in green stains from the herbs she was working on. "I'm going to be taking the other Shinigami back, to prove to the Sou-Taichou that they were here by choice. Are you coming back, or do you prefer to remain here?"

She frowned. "Oh, Kuchiki-kun and Abarai-kun already left. I'll have to see what Sado-kun and Ishida-kun wish to do. Are you going to talk to them now?" she asked.

"I am, would you like to come with us?" he asked.

"I should." She turned to Kerest. "Thank you so much, some of these grow in the World of the Living. When I come back, I'll bring you some things you don't have. Like parsley and mustard!"

Kerest smiled. "Thank you, princess," he said and blushed as he turned back to his herbs.

"Come this way, taichou," Imelda said as she led them toward a corridor. They walked for a bit then came to a curtained doorway.

"You home?" Imelda called.

A second later the curtain was pulled back and a pair of bright eyes looked up from a mess of dark hair. "Whatchu want, 'Melda, the princess, and hatman?"

"Niobe! Don't be rude when answering visitors!" came a female voice from inside.

"Sawwy!" the girl called. "Come in!" she said. She looked to be around five and she ran back in the room. "It's 'Melda, the princess, and a Hatman with a pink coat!"

Shunsui snickered as he pulled his hat off and followed Imelda into the room. It opened into a large living space and he saw that there was a female Arrancar sitting on a pile of pillows knitting. She had a mask fragment that looked like horns that sloped down over her breasts, covering them from above. Her hair was long and an almost iridescent bluish black in color. She looked up and smiled.

"A hatman with a pink coat?" she said with a sigh as the little girl crawled up beside her.

"Yah!" she exclaimed and pointed to Shunsui.

Imelda smirked. "Ratri, this is Kyōraku-taichou, from the Shinigami. He came to check in with the humans, and you know Inoue already," she said as she gestured to Orihime who stood behind them. Orihime came forward.

"Hey, Niobe, want to go play while they talk?" she asked.

"Yay, I'll play with the princess! Come to my room," Niobe said and grabbed Orihime's hand and drug her toward a ladder which she led her up.

"The princess?" Shunsui asked.

"Yeah, Kerest started that, calling her the princess. I think he's got a crush on her," Imelda said with a smirk. "How's the blanket coming?" Imelda turned to Ratri.

"Almost done!" she said.

"Is someone visiting?" came a soft, drawling voice from the back.

Shunsui looked up to see another female Arrancar, this one with a mask that was plate of bone that went from her hairline down over her left eye. Around that, her hair was long and puffed light brown, almost like a lion's mane around her face. She wore a set of loose pants and a tight shirt. Her body was lean and wiry looking. Walking out with her were both Uryū and Chad.

"Oh, Imelda, you've brought someone else with you?" she said with a soft smile as she came in and sat down beside Ratri.

"Yes, this is Kyrouku-taichou. He's come to take his people back as a way to assure them they are well," Imelda said with a smile at her.

"Ah, well, will you two be going, then?" she asked as she looked toward Uryū and Chad.

"I suppose we should go back to the World of the Living," Uryū said with a sigh. He looked at Chad who nodded.

"Before you all go back, let me offer a thank you meal before you go. A few hours shoulnd't harm?" Imelda asked.

Shunsui nodded. "I do believe that would be a wonderful idea. I even have an unopened jug of sake with me."

"Sake?" Imelda asked with a frown.

"Oh, my dear, it is the nectar of the gods," Shunsui said as he walked out of the room with her. Uryū and Chad followed after summoning Orihime from Niobe's room.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Byakuya was still somewhat surprised by the ease at which speaking with Aizen had gone. Either Aizen was playing a very intricate game, or he very genuinely loved Ichigo. The fact that Ichigo seemed to have attained control over the hogyuku even though it was still in Aizen's possession was incredible. The others might have their doubts, but Byakuya knew what he'd seen and he was of the opinion that Ichigo had control over the hogyuku and that was why the Arrancar were slowly changing around him. Ichigo had to be the source. First he would take these two Arrancar to where Ichigo and Grimmjow were held.

He knocked and then opened the door. He was still getting used to seeing the extremely violent Arrancar so very docile. Grimmjow was sitting against the wall with Ichigo curled into his lap fast asleep. Grimmjow sat, cradling his head and looking very content. He was about to say something but the pink haired Arrancar hurried past him. Grimmjow nodded to him.

"Oi, Ichigo," Grimmjow said. "Szayel's here."

Ichigo's eyes fluttered open and he looked up. His eyes went wide and he squealed loudly, leaping into the thinner Arrancar's arms. "Inky," he muttered as he buried his face in Szayel's neck. "Missed you. Wanna go home."

"I know, I know, and we will. Aizen-sama agreed to what they wanted so they are supposed to send you back," Szayel slowly disengaged him. "But I gotta check you over. You and the kit."

Byakuya spoke up. "With his mental state, how do you anticipate he will be able to care for young?"

Both Grimmjow and Szayel glared at him. "That's what we're for," Grimmjow said. "But there's a chance his head will be clear when it comes to the kit. I've seen the most violent bastard hollows turn into the most doting dams when they birth a kit."

"How will it be born?" Byakuya asked with a frown. "He does not have a birth canal like females would."

"He will when the time comes," Szayel explained as he pushed Ichigo to lay on his back. Grimmjow moved and put his hands on his shoulders. "The reiatsu chamber will alter his physiology to create one. Female Arrancar do the same thing, the birth canal doesn't appear until right before actual birth. Which won't happen for another few months, unless…well, Grimmjow is a cat. Could be sooner rather than later."

Byakuya nodded. "I must report to the head captain. Please remain here."

After he'd gone Szayel sensed the kit and ran his hands over Ichigo's belly. "Chamber is fully formed, no anomalies, the soul implanted successfully. Seems to be growing at a steady pace, so no harm from being kidnapped by these idiots." Szayel sat back up and Ichigo smiled at him.

"So I'm good, right?" he asked. "I will make Grimm-kitty happy with a baby kitty."

"Yes, yes you will," Grimmjow told him and kissed his forehead. "Very happy."

Ichigo smiled up at him. "Her name is Yasu. She will have tiny kitten ears, and her tail is orange."

Grimmjow glanced at Szayel and then back to Ichigo. "How do you know that?"

"Shiro said she came to visit. She had teeth, too. He said she bit his calf because he teased her," Ichigo smirked and then reached up to hug Grimmjow. "Bloody…" he muttered in Grimmjow's ear, and he knew that he'd lost his bit of clarity already.

Szayel shook his head. "I've got no idea on that. I suppose it is possible for the Zanpakutō spirit to see the kit, but I've never heard of anything like that. "

Grimmjow shook his head. "Yasu, an assertive child," he mumbled. "Well, guess there's no choice, that's the kit's name."

Szayel sighed, looking over to see Nel was still watching with an amused smirk.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Shunsui stepped through to Soul Society after taking Uryū, Orihime, and Chad back to the World of the Living. He had enjoyed his visit with the unusual Arrancar, though. Even if they had all be shocked at what sake was. He'd have to take more back to them. He paused as he passed the fourth division though, wondering how Ichigo was doing. He would see how he was before he made his report, he decided. He found his way to the room he was staying in. He knocked lightly before he opened the door.

Inside, he found Ichigo was lying on his stomach, drawing in red pencil on a pad of paper. Beside him, the pink haired scientist was watching him, stroking his head now and then. Grimmjow was lying on the futon, asleep, and the green haired Nel was also sleeping on the other futon. He walked over toward them.

"What does he draw?" Shunsui asked as quietly as he could.

Szayel looked up at him. "He says he is drawing Yasu, the baby."

On the pad, he was indeed drawing a small baby. It had a long tail, and it was a chubby little creature. It had a head full of hair, and there were a pair of ears sitting on top. It didn't have human ears, just the cat ears. It also was wearing a little dress.

"Yasu?" Shunsui asked. "And a girl. Is it his image of what he thinks it will look like, or does he know?"

"He seems to know somehow. He said Shiro told him she'd been playing in their inner world already. He said she is really loud and talks a lot."

"Interesting. How are you Ichigo?" he said a little louder.

Ichigo turned his brown eyes on Shunsui. "She's gonna chase the butterflies away, but she is alone, but not for long. There will be more babies for my mates," he said and went back to drawing.

"Hmm," Shunsui murmured and then left them.

He had been thinking a lot of the situation. In the end, everything had been their fault. His grief had completely clouded his ability to see clearly. He had seen his best friend and sometimes lover die, and he hadn't been able to handle it. He wanted to kill the person to kill Jūshirō with his own hands, and would have done so once the order to execute him had come down. There would have been no doubt in his mind. And now, to think that killing Ichigo would have been such a kindness.

As he walked toward the first office, he wondered. Even though he was still partially insane, and now an Arrancar fully, how could they just murder him? That would be what it was, murder. Ichigo was not at fault for what had happened in the least, and it had been them that drove him to insanity. No, it was not to be that way.

He knocked on the office door, and received the command to enter. He looked in surprise to see Urahara and Isshin Kurosaki already there.

"Kyrouku-taichou," the head captain said. "You come to report on Agartha."

"I do. I spent the day with them, and as they said, our people were all safe. I've returned the humans to the world of the living, and all our people have returned. All, however, expressed a desire to return and spend more time with these Arrancar."

"Where did the Arrancar in this place originate?" the head captain said from behind his desk.

"Some are naturally evolving Arrancar, but the majority were from Las Noches. Some were priverion, and others were simply Arrancar that escaped Aizen's rule. Some of them escaped Kurotsuchi-taichou's experiements," he said and glanced seriously at Urahara. "They are irrevocably damaged. I spoke to three who were severely affected. One was unable to speak or even eat most the time, another spoke in strange references to planets and stars, and another often fell into fits of self-hatred. There were others, but they had been able to recover and become productive."

"Your opinion on Ichigo Kurosaki?" he asked.

Shunsui looked at Isshin and Urahara. "I believe he should be returned to Aizen and the Arrancar of Las Noches."

"How can you say that?" Isshin exclaimed. "He can't be left with Aizen! Aizen did this to him!"

"The Aizen that I met is not the one that left Soul Society," Shunsui stated, looking at him seriously. "Ichigo has changed him greatly, as he has changed the Arrancar. They no longer answer to Aizen, they answer to Ichigo. Not returning him will lead to all out war. Even the Agarthan, who have no real stake in conflict between Soul Society and Las Noches would fight for Ichigo. They consider him one of theirs now, and they will do everything they can to return him. This bond between the Arrancar, this claiming and mating, is much deeper than anything humans and Shinigami can experience. I saw many couples and groupings while there, and it is very common to die for their mates if necessary," Shunsui sighed.

"And this child?" the head captain asked.

"This child is his child. It should be born and he should be allowed to hold her."

"Her?" Isshin asked.

"Ichigo has named the baby Yasu, and says that it is a girl. He's currently drawing pictures of her with Szayel in his room at the fourth," Shunsui explained.

"He can't have a child! That…but…" Isshin stammered, but Urahara put a hand on his shoulder.

"Isshin, you have to let this happen. After what Ichigo has been through, would it be fair to simply take everything away from him again?" Urahara squeezed his shoulder. "His whole world was ripped away, and he made a new one in the last six months. He has a new family and a new life. Do we want to simply rip that away and make him suffer again?"

"He's my son," Isshin whispered.

Shunsui didn't want to say it, but he couldn't help the words. "Shiba-san. If he was this important to you, why would have turned your back on him ten years ago?"

Isshin stared at Shunsui, shocked that he would say something like that. The words were true though, and Shunsui sighed and turned to the head captain again. "I'll prepare them to return, Sou-taichou, if you have agreed to send him back."

"Do so."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Time to go home, Ichi," Grimmjow said as the door opened, revealing Byakuya and Shunsui who would be escorting them back to Las Noches.

Ichigo squealed and hugged Grimmjow before kissing him on the cheek. "Home, with mates, and Master," he said with a smile.

"Home with us all," Szayel said and hugged him.

They walked out into the sun and Shunsui handed Ichigo his swords, and Byakuya handed Nel and Grimmjow their weapons. Szayel hadn't brought anything with him. They walked them toward the senkaimon but both Urahara and Isshin stood there. Ichigo froze as soon as he saw them.

"I don't wanna go back with them," he said with a petrified look on his face.

Grimmjow squeezed his shoulders. "They aren't taking you anywhere, they are here to tell you good-bye."

Ichigo nodded, eyes already full of tears. "I don't want to go with them, not anymore." His voice trembled but Grimmjow got him moving forward again.

When they stood in front of them, Isshin stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, son. For everything that's happened," he whispered. "I should have listened, I should have believed you. I'm sorry, so sorry. Please, will you come with me instead of going with them? You can stay with Urahara, and your sisters can visit you and maybe he can build you a Gigai…" Tears were slipping from Isshin's eyes now. Ichigo shook his head, muttering under his breath as he nuzzeled into Grimmjow's shoulder.

"No, no, not there, not ever. Never going there, never again. I'm going home!" he said as he finally seemed to snap.

"Why, son?" Isshin begged and Ichigo's eyes locked onto his.

A second, and his eyes bled black and gold again, like they had in the meeting. "Why?" he whispered, letting go of Grimmjow as his sanity set in again. "Why? You threw me to the dogs and burned my body, and you ask me why I won't go back with you? You let them drive me insane without question of what they would do to me? You would let them murder me when I did nothing wrong? You would, without question, agree? No, you had your chance to do what was right, and you…you…" he stammered, the black starting to fade from his eyes slowly. "You lost your chance to say anything about my life when you told me I was dead."

Ichigo blinked and his eyes shifted back to their normal brown. He gasped, grabbing Grimmjow's hand tightly. "Wanna go, now," he muttered and looked up at him.

"Let's go, Ichi-baby, the others are waiting," Grimmjow whispered as they left Isshin and Urahara behind and stepped through.

On the other side, the two captains watched as Grimmjow led them into Las Noches, then they themselves returned to Soul Society. Isshin and Urahara stood there still. Byakuya looked at them and then shook his head.

"Don't try and convince yourself his words are from his insanity. Those words were truth," Byakuya commented, then turned and left.

Shunsui turned and opened the senkaimon and let them leave. It was painful to accept that you've done something terrible, but Isshin Shiba would have to deal with that fact. He had done something unforgivable, and something a father should never do. He abandoned his son without question. No, they had all committed an unforgivable crime. For that reason, Shunsui had to make sure that Ichigo was allowed to live his life as well as he could. He understood the thinking that he was "better off dead" than in the condition he now lived. That wasn't true. A life like Ichigo had now, one where he had people that loved him, and whom he loved, that was not a bad life. No, the only reason to destroy Ichigo's life was to try and make their horrible deed disappear. Shunsui would not allow that to happen, no matter if he had to stand up to the head captain. He'd done it before, and he would do so again if he had to.


	11. When the Wheels Continue to Turn

Chapter Eleven

When the Wheels Continue to Turn

"You've lost him, we all have," Kisuke said as he sat across the table from Isshin.

In a way, the trip to Soul Society had been to confirm this very thing to Kisuke. He knew, from the very beginning when he was told what had occurred, that things would turn out badly. Isshin had turned his back on his child, and that alone was enough to raise Kisuke's ire at the other Shinigami. The fact that any of this had taken place, though, had not surprised the once captain. No, he had not been surprised at all. He understood, of course, why he had not been informed of any of the things that had occurred. Why would he have been told? He would have gone to Soul Society and demanded the old man listen to reason. He would have fought for Ichigo, as he had fought for the others. He sighed, hearing movement further inside the shoten. Shinji would no doubt be listening. He should be listening. Kisuke tapped his chin and wondered if they even realized that the Vizard captain had slipped out of Soul Society again. No, likely they had not, but he imagined that Hiyori, once she found out he was in the World of the Living again would give him what for. He smirked, turning his attention back to the distraught man across from him. His sympathy for Isshin Kurosaki, though, was gone.

"I know that now. Those eyes that looked at me were my son's, at least, when he said I had no place in his life any longer," Isshin said with a sigh. There wasn't much more to be said.

Kisuke hurt for him, he really did. But he couldn't tell him it wasn't his fault, because it was. One good word from Isshin, and things would have turned out so much differently than they had. "Why, Isshin? Why would you have turned on your own son?"

Isshin lifted his head from where it was cradled in his hands and looked at Kisuke. "I can't tell you for sure. I thought I had left the mindset of the way Soul Society thought behind me when I stepped out and my powers were sealed to me. I thought that I could never see things their way again. But when… When Shunsui came to me and told me what had happened, I believed him, Kisuke. I believed him. I saw the heartache in that man's eyes, losing the one person he loved more than anyone in the world, and my heart broke with remembered pain. I _knew_ what it was like to lose the one you love, and I… Kisuke, I wanted to punish him for taking someone else's love away from him." Isshin's eyes filled with tears again. "And all I did was do exactly the same thing to my son that everyone else did to him. I got so caught up in Shunsui's pain, in Shunsui's loss, my own loss of Masaki, that I hated my own child. Because Kisuke, he drew the Grand Fisher to them that night, and you know it. And maybe there was a piece of me that blamed him for Masaki's death."

The truth behind Isshin's words was harsh, but Kisuke had always had a suspicion that there was a deep part of Isshin that blamed Ichigo for Masaki's death, and this confirmed it. Ichigo, a child of nine years old, possessed of unimaginable power and already brimming with limitless _reiatsu_ , had pulled that hollow toward them. They had never stood a chance against something like the Grand Fisher that night.

Kisuke looked up as the door opened and he saw Uryū and Orihime had come. Then he noticed Chad was there as well, silent as always behind them. "Come in, sit down," he said, and gestured around the tea table. Before he could say anything, Tessai brought tea to everyone. Kisuke hadn't even realized that Tessai knew they had guests. The three humans looked chastised and deservedly so. None of them had wanted to see Ichigo even given the chance. Every one of them had refused the offer to stand beside the _senkaimon_ and wait him to be sent back to his new home in Hueco Mundo beside his lovers.

"You didn't see Ichigo before he returned," Isshin said flatly as he wiped his eyes. There was no accusation in his tone, but Kisuke knew that he regretted that they had not been there as well.

"I couldn't," Uryū said as he slipped to sit on the ground. "I know I should have, but just from what the Agarthan Arrancar said he was like… Was it as bad as you thought?"

"He told him off," Kisuke said with a smirk. "So, he was quite obviously there and knew what was going on, if he even had to pull on the power of his inner hollow to clear his mind up enough to speak it. He's not happy, as you can imagine."

"He has every right to feel like that," Isshin said with a deep sigh again. He just couldn't stop sighing.

Orihime was crying again already. "I want to go back. I want to help those Arrancar all I can," she whispered. "I don't deserve to stay here. I don't deserve to be here, in this comfortable human life, while those Arrancar carve their life out in that underground world. No, I don't deserve to be comfortable and safe. I need to go back."

"What do you mean?" Uryū asked, frowning at her.

"No, I need to make up for my part. So, I should help them. If I help them, then I'm doing something for Ichigo's new people. And they could use it."

Everyone was quiet for a long few minutes. "I can take you back; first, why don't you go visit your human friends and tell them you'll be away for a while?"

She nodded, standing and leaving tearfully again. Kisuke watched her go with a sad heart. He turned to the others. "Mayuri isn't done, and I don't think everyone in Soul Society is in agreement of letting Ichigo go so easily."

"What do you mean?" Isshin asked with a glance at Uryū and Chad.

"I mean, he's let go of an experimental subject far too easily. He's not done. I'm also worried that some of the other captains won't give up so easily. Suì-Fēng was far too quiet as the head of the punishment squad. I would not be surprised if she didn't try to have Ichigo killed secretly."

"She wouldn't." Yoruichi said from behind him, completely naked. Everyone averted their eyes. She had obviously been listening in her cat form when she heard what Kisuke had said. Without looking, Kisuke slipped off his haori and tossed it behind him.

"She would, and you know it," Kisuke said as she flopped down beside him, his haori covering her for the most part. "You know she's gotten bitter without you there to temper her. I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't already left to go to Hueco Mundo in an attempt to assassinate him as it is."

Yoruichi growled. "Fine, send me with Orihime. I'll make sure she doesn't interfere. He has a baby to take care of soon."

"And the others?" Isshin asked, wondering now who would stand with his son and who would not.

"I don't think Kyōraku and Kuchiki will be a problem. Zaraki and Hitsugaya made themselves clear on how they feel. Suì-Fēng I worry will attempt to cull him secretly. Kurotsuchi we know will try and re-acquire him as an experimental subject. Unohana, well, she will stand with saving lives. This might be in our favor or against it. Shinji, Rose, and Kensei…I don't see them turning on Ichigo no matter what. He trained with them as one of their own." Kisuke thought for a long time. "I don't know for sure on any of them, though. There is no telling the status for anyone at a given time."

Isshin stood slowly. "Keep me appraised. I'll work from the shadows if I must from now on. I've turned on my son, and there is no salvation to be had for me. So, it shall be that I will be his father, and I will do my duty as his father one way or another."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo's first reaction when he got into the Las Noches was absolute glee. Sōsuke was waiting by the door when he returned, and he bolted right for him the second he saw his Master.

"Ichigo," Sōsuke breathed as Ichigo leaped and wrapped himself around Sōsuke's body. "I've been so worried, I can't tell you how worried I've been," he said, and he meant it with his whole heart. For a second, Sōsuke couldn't believe what he was saying, then he couldn't believe what he was feeling. He saw that Grimmjow and Szayel were both standing back and watching. "Ichigo, come, we're going to our room because you need rest, in your own bed."

"Master, love," Ichigo breathed into his neck and sighed deeply. "Missed you."

Sōsuke dumped Ichigo right into the middle of the big bed where he flopped with a happy expression on his face. "I was scared I wouldn't come home to you," Ichigo said with surprising clarity.

"So was I," Sōsuke said as he climbed into the bed. He laid a hand across Ichigo's belly. In the time he had been gone, the bump had grown. "Interesting. The baby appears to be growing faster than expected.

Sōsuke was about to summon Szayel when he cringed in pain, his hands going to where the hogyuku was embedded into his body. There was some kind of pulse.

"That thing really does grant wishes," Ichigo whispered and when Sōsuke looked up, he saw the black and gold eyes. Before, those eyes would have meant insanity in Ichigo. Now, they meant clarity. The reversal of his eyes was perhaps the strangest thing that he would have to get used to.

"What do you mean?" he asked, opening the kusodo he wore to show the orb was glowing blue in his chest.

"The hogyuku is mine," Ichigo whispered, moving to stand on his hands and knees and touching the small object gently. At his touch, a pulse issued from it and he smiled. "Mine, because I am the master now. It knows my mind, and what it is doing is accelerating the birth for me. All the little ones will come quickly. My body could not tolerate more than one at a time, or twins of the same father. But it can quicken the time it takes to birth them. I have much work to do yet. Starrk doesn't yet come close, out of fear. And Nnoitra despairs yet that I will never accept him. Ulquiorra's emptiness is still consuming him, and he has yet to understand. I've granted the gift of creation to Grimmjow, and his healing shall come when the baby Yazu is born to him. No more will he suffer hollowness." Ichigo paused, his eyes starting to bleed back to normal. "Szayel's legacy will not be madness, and the chaos of the second shall not be passed on."

As soon as Ichigo's eyes were normal again, he fell back into the pillows, completely asleep and exhausted.

"I wonder," Sōsuke said as he stood and headed out toward Szayel's lab. If he had mastery over the hogyuku, then what did that mean for all of them?

Szayel was busy with something when he walked into the room and cleared his throat. Szayel didn't stop to do anything but answered.

"Can I do something? I'm going over readings from Ichigo's return, and I'm not sure I actually understand some of them…" he muttered.

"Maybe something Ichigo said might help?" Sōsuke said with a sigh. Sometimes, Szayel didn't listen very well.

Szayel stopped, turning to him and stared. Sōsuke had held open his kusodo and was showing him quite clearly, he was talking about the hogyuku.

"The hogyuku…" Szayel muttered. "What did he say about it?"

"He said that he was the master of the hogyuku."

"Oh, that makes more sense," Szayel said with a sigh, putting down the test tubes he was holding. "Now, if he has mastery over the hogyuku, though, why does it still answer to you as well? You're still able to create Arrancar."

Sōsuke nodded. "Perhaps it does my bidding because Ichigo wills it to answer to me. The hogyuku will answer to the strongest power source around it. Ichigo fits that position, especially now that he has been made into an Arrancar. An Arrancar without a hollow hole, of course."

"Which makes him something even more than the rest of us," Szayel murmured, turning back to his papers where he'd written down several things. "Yes, that would make sense. Arrancar are the bridge between hollow and Shinigami, but what happens when that bridge is broken and re-forged? You get something unknown, like Ichigo. He's not a Shinigami any more, but he's also not quite an Arrancar."

"What exactly is it that had you bothered?" Sōsuke asked, closing his kusodo around him once again.

"Oh, the baby. It appears to be accelerating in development once Ichigo got back here…" he stopped. "Because now he's near the hogyuku again instead of Soul Society. It all makes sense. That's one of the reasons he can't be separated from you. He has mastery over the hogyuku…"

Sōsuke nodded to himself more than anything. "I never would have imagined. It is the hogyuku that has been slowly changing us all to match Ichigo's desires. Even in his madness, he is still the same person. He wants to solve all the pain that we have. He removes your madness, he takes away Ulquiorra's emptiness, he quells the destruction in Grimmjow. He's removing the aspects of death that each of the Espada were left with. By doing that, he's healing them all…"

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Now he's worried," Ichigo growled as he sat in the dome shaped area of his inner world. Not much had changed, though it seemed that Shiro and Zangetsu had gotten used to the small confines they now lived in.

"He needed to know," Shiro said and snuggled his nose into Ichigo's neck. He'd put himself right in Ichigo's lap as soon as he appeared in their inner world. Ichigo didn't argue it anymore, and he understood now that Shiro required tactile sensation now and then.

"They're going to send the captain of the second," Zangetsu noted from where he stood by the edge, watching the falling rain of black inside the water. Still, the madness remained, and none of them knew how to rid Ichigo of it.

"Can we trust the others, the ones that turned on you, to stop this?" Shiro asked, frowning as he nuzzled into Ichigo's throat.

Ichigo nodded. "I trust them. I know you don't think I should, after they turned their back on me, but I trust them to do what is right, especially now that they know better."

"You almost told Sōsuke all, y'know," Shiro grumbled. "I thought we were surprising him with the rapidity of the babies."

Ichigo smirked and glanced out into the water. A figure ran between the dripping madness. He smiled as she dodged and weaved, never letting anything touch her. It wouldn't matter, she was formed of madness, and thus would forever be immune to it. Like all of Ichigo's kits, Yazu would stand tall and never suffer like he had.

"Child!" he called and the small figure darted through the bubble and stood before him. He smiled at her and she grinned, her mouth filled with rows of sharp, cat-like teeth. Brilliant blue cat slit eyes stared back at him, and there were broad streaks of green under her eyes just like her father. On the outside of her eyes, two small bone fragments streaked with red lines covered her temples and disappeared into her hair. Her face was identical to Ichigo's and in a way, Ichigo thought she looked a little bit like Yuzu. Ironic considering her name was Yazu.

"Dam!" she said and jumped into Shiro's lap where he sat on Ichigo's.

"How's my Yazu?" Ichigo asked and ruffled the small child's head full of thick orange and blue streaked hair. A pair of cat ears sat high on her head, striped as well. The tail, matching her ears and hair, whipped around her back.

"When are the others gonna be borned? I need to play with someone!" she demanded.

"You have to be born first, silly girl!" Ichigo sighed.

"Well, hurry up!" she snapped and leaped off Shiro's lap and ran back into the madness tainted water.

"She's gonna be a handful," Shiro muttered. "All day, she gonna bug me, when am I gonna meet my papa, when am I gonna get brothers and sisters, when am I this and that."

Ichigo smirked. "Sooner than anyone thinks, thanks to my unconscious influence on the hogyuku, it seems…" Ichigo commented, laying hands on his burgeoning belly.

Shiro sighed, standing up and walking toward the edge so he could see the child playing. "Who will be next?"

"Starrk."

"His connection is tenuous. Grimmjow is the only alpha with which you are completely secure with," Shiro noted. "You will have to work to break through the barriers that each of them have set up. Nnoitra's heart is flooded with despair and pain. Ulquiorra's emptiness is still a problem. He must begin to heal some before we can grant him relief. The second… Well, I'm not sure how things will work out with that one. He's a rakshasa Arrancar, and that means something different than your average animals. Szayel, aside from Grimmjow, has forged the deepest connection with you." Shiro paused. "I think that the one at most danger has to be Starrk. His connection to you is very thin, and if ya don't shore it up, he's going to fall out of our grasp."

"I know. I told Sōsuke that. Each one presents a unique challenge. But by the time I'm done, they will be healed of their aspects of death and more," Ichigo sighed and ran a hand over his head. "But I worry on Sōsuke. Will he remain patient as I deal with the Espada?"

Shiro smirked. "Sōsuke is smitten, King. He ain't going to do anything to piss you off. No, he's going to be a good boy and wait, and then we'll surprise him most of all."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Suì-Fēng didn't expect to have someone literally drag her from her hiding place in Hueco Mundo. She most certainly didn't expect to be face-to-face with Yoruichi Shihōin.

"Ah, see, I knew you'd try it," Yoruichi said with a smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yoruichi-sama!" Suì-Fēng exclaimed, staring in shock at her.

"I can't let you kill him," Yoruichi told her with a shake of her head. "He's happy, and he's home."

"How can you say that? After what he's become? He's a brood mare for them!" she snapped. "How can you let him stay there, bearing their children like some sort of…of… prize sow!" She snorted. "This mission was not one I had to be ordered to do. I would have done so anyway."

Yoruichi looked at her for a long time before she spoke. "I think you mean to do what is best for him, so I get that. But the life he's living is still a life. So, he's loved by them and he'll bear their children. So? Is there a worse life for someone who spent ten years being tormented and tortured by his friends?" Yoruichi asked with a sigh. She stepped forward and cupped Suì-Fēng's face suddenly, making the other woman flinch backward. "Love is worth making sacrifices for. You ever thought about that?"

Suì-Fēng shook her head in Yoruichi's grip. "I don't understand, Yoruichi-sama."

"No? I would think as long as you've chased after me, you'd understand that I'm about to kiss you, you dumb woman," Yoruichi whispered and leaned forward to gently brush Suì-Fēng's lips with her own.

"Why now?" Suì-Fēng yelped and stepped back suddenly. "You…you've had plenty time, and now you come here, when I'm on a mission to do this? Why? Just to stop me? Is this some game? Because, Yoruichi-sama, don't play with my heart this way." Her eyes were already welling with tears.

Yoruichi nodded. "I suppose that seeing Ichigo, and seeing him with his lovers has influenced me. I've been here watching for a week now, that's how I knew when you arrived. I've observed him, and his truth. And while his truth isn't the thing you would imagine it to be it is. And it made me realize that I've wasted a lot of time."

Suì-Fēng stared at the other woman, the woman she loved with every part of her soul, the woman she promised years upon years to give up her entire soul for, who was standing there confessing to her. "No, there's no way that this is just some random idea that got in your head. You are tricking me, and the minute I leave this mission undone, you will leave me, abandon me in Soul Society while you run back to your precious Urahara!"

Yoruichi stared for a second then started to laugh out loud. "You-you're jealous of Kisuke!" she gasped as she tried to get her mirth under control. "You think that… that Kisuke and me, oh dear souls, no, that has never happened nor will it ever happen!" she heaved a breath and controlled her laughter finally. "Kisuke is my best friend but I'll never be the one he loves."

"Who…who does he love, then?" Suì-Fēng had relaxed her stance without realizing it while Yoruichi was laughing so hard. Perhaps it was Yoruichi allowing herself to be in an unguarded state that did it, but she was beginning to doubt her suspicions.

Yoruichi wiped tears from her eyes. "Sh-Shinji, idiot. Him and Shinji have been lovers since they were captains the first time," she said as she stood up, rubbing her stomach. "Oh, wow, that was a good one. I mean, shit, now you know about them being lovers." She looked slightly remorseful but shrugged. "Oh well, now that Shinji is back in Soul Society as a captain, they don't see each other as much, but yeah. Why do you think those two always disappeared alone? And why Kisuke did everything in his power to save him?" She paused. "Good kami, how many times I've walked in on Kisuke bent over his desk being…"

"Oh, oh my," Suì-Fēng said with wide eyes. "I didn't, I mean, he's the…"

"Oh yes, my dear Kisuke likes to be fucked," Yoruichi said with smirk. "Watched once or twice at Shinji's request, just to get Kisuke going. Hmm, but look how red the idea makes you. Could you be curious about watching those two go at it?"

Suì-Fēng turned away but soon felt the warm embrace from behind as Yoruichi's arms wrapped around her, cradling her chest. "I am not here because I want to save Ichigo's life, though, he was my student and I do want to save him. I am here to stop you from turning even further away from the correct path. Please, think about it. And if the excuse that I have always loved you makes you see the truth, then that is why I am here. I am here to help you see, and I'm sorry it has taken me so long to say something."

"How long?" she whispered.

"As long as I can remember, you were always there, Suì-Fēng, and I love your devotion and your passion. And you have taken on the duties of the second beautifully with grace and more ability than anyone else. So please, accept my words for what they are, as my confession to you."

Yoruichi stepped back from Suì-Fēng's back and grasped the other woman by the waist and pulled their bodies together again from the front. She leaned in close to Suì-Fēng's face, breath panting a slight bit now. "You have no idea how long I have waited, wondering if I should take this mood, kitten. But I think that this, this whole situation, has shown me that the time to wait is done. I'll make you scream before this day's over, and you'll never doubt my devotion again."

Suì-Fēng's face flushed bright red, and she melted into the body of her Yoruichi-sama as the other woman's lips met hers for the first time in full. The certainly didn't stop there, not until Yoruichi's promise was kept. Afterward, they both swore never to become passionate in the middle of the sands of Heuco Mundo. That sand got in way too many uncomfortable places for their liking.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Only two months passed before the day that Yazu would arrive came.

The morning began with Ichigo yelling at Sōsuke and then crumpling in a dead faint. Everyone was sent into a flurry of activity in anticipation for something so unprecedented. Considering they were unsure how Ichigo's body would handle the actual birthing process, Szayel had prepared a surgery room for him in case it was necessary. Imelda had arrived from Agartha with Orihime at her side. At first, Orihime seemed not to know what to do, but it was soon revealed that she had spent a lot of time becoming an Arrancar midwife in Agatha and once Ichigo's actual labor began, she had no trouble working with what she knew.

The process of the birth was more complex than anyone expected, but Ichigo's body adjusted, the birthing canal formed as it was supposed to, and before long, an exhausted Ichigo held a tiny baby with hair, ear, and a tail streaked tabby blue and orange. Piercing blue cat eyes stared at them, and unlike most babies, she didn't scream. She had a small bone fragment set that framed the outside edges of each of her eyes that was marked in red. Ichigo recognized the little child that had been playing in his inner world for the last nearly three months during the gestation. The second she was put on the floor, she was off and Grimmjow was chasing her.

"They really are born running," Sōsuke said as he stroked Ichigo's hair. He was half asleep on the bed and smiling as Grimmjow tried to verbally reason with the small girl. Despite being able to walk, of course, she was still a baby and couldn't talk, nor reason. After a great chase around the room, Grimmjow had a sleeping Yazu in his arms as he returned.

"Fuckin' kid is gonna have more energy when she gets bigger?" Grimmjow grumbled, but his face revealed a calm, loving countenance that was almost unknown on him. He didn't notice, but Ichigo certainly did, that his hollow hole seemed to be flickering, almost as if it were attempting to fill in. Nuzzling his face into the soft hair on Yazu's head, Grimmjow was completely lost in the smell and the feeling of the baby in his arms. The baby that was his and Ichigo's.

The birthing room as Szayel put it was specially designed for this. It was a large room with a comfortable bed that Szayel had specially made. The bed came apart in places and could be moved to make birthing more comfortable.

"As expected," Szayel said as he replaced Ichigo's covers. "The birthing chamber is gone, and the birth canal as dissipated."

"Can I hold her?" Orihime asked, tentatively looking at the baby in Grimmjow's arms.

He nodded, handing the child to her and she smiled. "Careful," Grimmjow muttered. "She's got a full set of feral teeth." He idly reached up and rubbed his arm. She'd already gotten him once.

"I know, I've helped several Arrancar give birth in Agatha. So different from humans but a lot the same too. I don't think Ichigo realized who I was, though," she commented as she looked to Ichigo's sleeping face.

Grimmjow shook his head. "He didn't." He paused. "The last few weeks he has been considerably out of his mind," he added, sighing as he brushed fingers through the thick hair of the little kit's head. "I think preparing for the baby did it, we aren't sure. We just hope that he is more sane once he has to help look after the little one here."

"I'm insane, not deaf," Ichigo said, and everyone turned to see he hadn't moved, but the black and gold eyes were staring back at them. "And not always. Shiro couldn't help me with my sanity; he was too busy chasing her all over my inner world. But she could walk through the insanity, which made things difficult. She's immune to it, since she was created in my insanity," he said and stretched his arms over his head. "I'm going back to sleep though."

Ichigo turned and snuggled into the pillows, sighing as he fell back into a deep sleep.


	12. When Loneliness is Quelled

Chapter Twelve

When Loneliness is Quelled

[Two Months Ago]

Orihime didn't know what to expect when Yoruichi set her down at the entrance to Agartha and she wound her way through the tunnels to find someone she knew. Most the Agarthans knew her, so that in itself was a good thing. She could expect them to treat her well, she knew. They were good people. She had given up her human life for a few months to do this. She'd moved all her things into the house that Tatsuki lived in with her husband. They had an extra room and were kind enough to let her borrow the space. She took a three month leave from her job at an office building so that she could focus on working with the Agarthans.

She found her way into Agatha and quickly located Imelda. Imelda was a bit surprised to see her, but smiled at her as she approached.

"Orihime, what are you doing here?" she asked, looking curious.

"I came because I want to learn how to help with hollow birthing," she told her and smiled. "I want to help Ichigo, and this is a way I know how to do it."

Imelda nodded. "Let's go see Kriya, then. She would be the one to help you with this."

A few minutes later, she stood in the medical ward before the suit wearing Arrancar and her companion with the mask fragment like donkey ears, Moab.

"So you are saying you want to learn how to midwife for Arrancar?" Kriya asked, running a hand over her brassy colored hair and the spikes that protruded from it. "Is this something you seriously want to do or are you just doing this out of your guilt?"

Orihime sighed, licking her lips thoughtfully because she wanted to answer correctly. "I genuinely want to help you here. It is for Kurosaki-kun that I do it, and I want to be able to help him when it comes time to birth his own baby."

"This is no time for minor dalliances," Kriya stated. "If you do this, you will work hard and that includes learning about the herbs and how to use them."

"I've decided to learn here and then when I go back to the World of the Living, I plan to become a nurse and work toward being able to deliver babies there as well. This is something I've decided to do as a way of repaying things I owe." Orihime was close to tears because she knew this was her only chance to do things right for Ichigo.

"Alright," Kriya nodded. "I'll teach you. But if I think for a moment that you aren't in this with the best of intentions, I will stop."

"I will, I promise," she said, hands wringing in front of her.

Over the next two months, she spent a lot of time with Kerest, learning about herbs and how they were used. She found that there were herbs that relaxed, herbs that numbed pain, and herbs that were used to help along with a labor. She found that most of these things were the same as in the World of the Living, so the information would transfer when she went back to get her nursing school done. She was very serious about the aspect about going through with the whole thing and becoming a nurse with her life. She had been dismissive of life, so now she wanted to bring new life into the world.

Along with learning herbalism from Kerest, she spent a lot of time in the medical ward. Iris had improved greatly, growing more and more attached to Kira as he came back to spend time with her. She began to talk more and began to eat better for more people. Lel still spoke in planets and stars but had become less agitated all the time. He spent a lot of time with Hisagi, and seemed to like him a great deal. Andresta still came often to the medical area after he had nightmares or flashbacks, but slowly was becoming less self-depreciating. He would still often wail and moan, but he was less likely to throw himself to the floor demanding to be killed.

During this time, she got to attend her first birth, that of Chilin. Chilin had a difficult time in the last stages of the pregnancy. To make him feel better, Fereydun had taken to getting him all sorts of items to make him feel better. As the labor set in, he was wearing a lovely necklace that his mate had found him. It was a choker-like band of rhinestones with a bib of strings of more rhinestones falling down to a triangular point in the middle of his chest. Fereydun stayed right beside him during the entire thing, never moving or leaving during the whole event. Kriya was there to help guide Fereydun to aid the baby in emerging from the reiatsu chamber.

The baby was born very large, which accounted for some of Chilin's difficulty. The little boy was born with a wild crop of blond hair that turned to black at the times. His mask fragment looked like the lower jaw of a giant lizard wrapped around his throat. They named the baby Huan. After Chilin and Fereydun had both had a chance to hold him, they let Orihime have a chance. She was amazed as she looked down at the little life that had come into existence. While a different type of existence, they deserved the right to live and just to be. She couldn't imagine that it was ever thought of differently.

After several other births, some of which she actively participated in, she felt she was ready when Ichigo's baby was born. She had to even use an herbal tonic on one of them when the beta was struggling to say calm enough to make it through the birth of the baby. She felt like she had been made to do this kind of work, and her sun sun riki only aided her by telling her what, if anything was wrong.

Word came down that Ichigo was due any day, so she had Nel take her up to Las Noches to wait for it. She didn't want to miss this chance to do what she intended to do so she could help Ichigo. She was expecting a cold reception from the alphas, and was not disappointed. Jatya and Ulquiorra ignored her for the most part. Szayel ended up speaking to her at length about herbs and the things she had learned doing a midwife's duties. Starrk had been sleeping most the time that she was there. It was Nnoitra and Grimmjow who were the most vocal with their displeasure.

"Why should you be allowed around him at all?" Grimmjow had snapped as soon as he saw her.

"Please, I've been working hard on becoming a midwife. I know a great deal now, and I want to help Kurosaki-kun as best I can. This is the best that I can do for him now," she had pleaded with him, knowing that she would have to pass through their number to get access to Ichigo. Strangely, Aizen had nothing to say to her and kept to himself.

"You better not mess things up," Nnoitra had told her and she took him to heart. She knew her life was forfeit if she in any way harmed Ichigo or the baby.

When the time came, though, Grimmjow was surprisingly cooperative. He listened to her instructions and did what she asked of him. The birth, while long, was relatively easy, and Orihime was certain the entire time Ichigo didn't know who she was. She was sure that he was out of it more than anything. Only Grimmjow's constant presence and reiatsu kept him calm enough to get through the birth.

After she held Yazu, she had escaped the birthing room and found a quiet place where she cried. She was found shortly by Nel.

"Why do you weep?" she asked her as she put an arm around her.

Orihime knuckled her tears away from her eyes. "I just came to realize that Kurosaki-kun, in the end, did get what he deserved, like I told him. It was after a horrible experience, but in the end, he deserves to be happy and to hold his little one in his arms. She is so much more than just a baby Arrancar, and he is so much more than he was. I just was thinking that what I said had come true after all."

Nel had held her tightly while she cried out her tears and then they left to go back to Agartha. Once there, she had several days before she was going to be returned to the World of the Living. She resumed her duties and helped Kriya and the other medical Arrancar with everything she could while she was there. She was serving penance, after all.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Aizen soon realized that having a baby around was a lot more interesting than he had originally thought it would be. Over the next couple months, they all watched as Yazu grew to double her size and quickly started learning to talk a little. Ichigo insisted that she sleep with him, and said that when she got a little bit older she could stay with Grimmjow as well. Now, Aizen sat on the bed in their room, watching as Ichigo played with Yazu. He was rolling a small ball back and forth between them. Aizen noted that he seemed to stay lucid more often in the time he was with Yazu and Grimmjow. There were bad days, days that Ichigo couldn't hold onto the real world at all, and those days Yazu would spend with Grimmjow and sometimes some of the others.

Everyone quickly became attached to the little girl. She would often play with the other alphas, and they all were kind to her. Surprisingly, Nnoitra was an effective baby sitter for her. Starrk slept too much, though she would often crawl into the pile of pillows with Ichigo when he went to him.

Grimmjow came to the door, looking on Ichigo and Yazu as they rolled the ball between each other. "She's learning fast," he said, looking at Aizen.

Suddenly, Ichigo stopped, staring off into the distance. Both Grimmjow and Aizen wondered if they were going to have to take over for him. The ball rolled toward him and thumped into his legs, and he just continued to stare. Yazu got up and went over to him and sighed.

"Dam," she said, knowing that Ichigo was not able to interact with her at the moment.

"Come, Yazu," Grimmjow said, kneeling down and motioning her to his arms. She came to him and he picked her up. "Let's go to one of the gardens and you can play in the flowers," he told her and left.

Aizen was infinitely sad all of a sudden. The fact that Ichigo had these moments when he couldn't do things like interact with Yazu affected him. He leaned over and brushed a hand over Ichigo's head, smoothing the hair that was pulled back in the braid that cascaded down his back.

"Puppy," he said, finally looking up and locking eyes with Aizen.

"Starrk?" Aizen asked with a frown. This was the first time he'd directly asked about one of the other alphas besides Grimmjow.

"Yeah, it's time," he said and stood up, disappearing out the door.

He followed Starrk's scent to his rooms. He opened the door and went in, Lilynette sitting at the table while Starrk slept in his pile of pillows. Ichigo passed Lilynette and went to crawl into Starrk's bed. Starrk stirred awake, blinking to find Ichigo had snuggled in with him in the pillows. He smiled and brushed a hand over his head. He fell asleep again, nestled together with Ichigo.

"Wake up, lazy ass," he heard and Lilynette was shaking him.

"What is it?" he asked as he blinked wearily.

Lilynette sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to visit the Agarthans. I figure it will be a good time since your beta is here for a while," she told him and shouldered a pack.

"You do not have to do that," Starrk began, but Lilynette shook her head.

"I'm not going to be here while you two go at it, don't act like you can't smell him. Even I can smell the scent on him," Lilynette growled and turned to leave.

Starrk watched her go and sighed, wrapping his arms around Ichigo's sleeping form. He was curious about what Lilynette had said about the smell that she had mentioned. He sniffed deeply at his neck and realized he could smell something coming off him. He tightened his grip and felt Ichigo stir in his arms.

"Hey, you're awake," Starrk mumbled against his head.

"Puppy, love," Ichigo said with a giggle.

"Love you too," Starrk sighed out.

"Love, puppy," he said and moved to kiss at Starrk's mouth.

Starrk opened his mouth, letting him in and slowly deepening the kiss until their tongues were sliding against each other in a tangled bid for dominance. Ichigo eventually pulled back, panting for breath. He looked down at Starrk with hooded eyes and smiled at him. Since Yazu had been born, Ichigo hadn't been with any of them, having been too wrapped up in the baby to do much else, but it seemed that the drives had come back and he wanted to have Starrk.

Ichigo moved down and straddled Starrk's lap, pulling his yukata up around his waist as he did so. Starrk could easily see the state he was in and felt a throbbing in his own body as he struggled to maintain some semblance of composure. Ichigo went for the waist of his pants and pulled him free. Starrk let out a little groan as Ichigo began touching him lightly, hands barely brushing the sensitive skin. Starrk felt a little light headed and was beginning to smell the sweet scent that Ichigo exuded more and more.

He leaned forward and gave the head a cursory lick, causing a spurt of fluid to flow from the tip. He leaned forward and put his mouth around him. Starrk gasped at the contact, resisting the urge to grab him by the hair and slam his head down. Ichigo instead sucked delicately on the head, moving his tongue around it and sucking lightly. He then leaned down, taking more of him into his mouth, until Starrk could feel the constriction of his throat muscles start to press against him.

Ichigo sat up and then scooted up until they were touching each other at the hips. He leaned over and engaged Starrk's mouth in another long, languid kiss, writhing on his lap as he sat thee, unable to keep still. Starrk bit his lip to stifle any sound he would make as he swallowed the sounds Ichigo was making as their tongues slid against each other.

When Ichigo broke the kiss he moved up and adjusted himself until he was hovering over Starrk, and then he slipped down on him. Starrk let out a strangled sound as he adjusted down on him, body flush against his lap. Starrk reached out and stroked Ichigo with his hand as he rocked back and forth, incredibly slowly and maddeningly. Starrk was sure that he was going to lose his mind from the slow and steady pace Ichigo had set, so he reached out and grabbed his ass with both hands, squeezing as he thrust upward into him sharply. Ichigo let out a low moan and ground back down against him. He started moving faster and faster, rocking into Starrk's body, trapping himself between them. He began to slide against him to get more friction as he leaned over and locked another kiss on Starrk, undulating his body against him harder and harder. Starrk heard him nearly scream when he slammed up into his prostate and he continued to angle for that spot, making it hard for Ichigo to move on his own.

Taking a deep breath, Starrk knew he wasn't going to last much longer. It was too much stimulation on him at one time. He squeezed Ichigo's ass harder, knowing he was probably leaving bruises from his tight grip. The slow and steady pace from before had completely disappeared, as their bodies now slammed together, furiously seeking the release that would come soon. Ichigo was the first to find his way to the end, suddenly grabbing Starrk around the shoulders and coming hard between them.

Starrk held on for another moment, slamming up into the quivering and clenching warmth he was sheathed in a few more times before he let go, releasing a powerful burst of reiatsu. Ichigo bonelessly flopped to the side of Starrk, the yukata soiled now along with Starrk's shirt. Starrk could hear him breathing raggedly as he came down off the high.

"What did you come to me now for?" Starrk asked as his heartrate finally began to settle.

Ichigo was quiet, merely breathing in long slow breaths for so long Starrk wondered if he'd fallen asleep. Finally, though he whispered, "It was time for you to stop being lonely."

Starrk blinked a little in surprise. He looked down to find he'd fallen asleep in his arms. He didn't have the heart to wake him to make him change clothes. He figured it would be okay to lay there just like this for a little while. He certainly was in no hurry to move. But what he said, about loneliness. That was the base of his hollow nature. Otherwise, Lilynette wouldn't exist. He ran a hand over Ichigo's head and thought again about how much things had changed in a very short time for them all.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

As soon as Ichigo entered his inner world, he was grabbed up in an embrace by Shiro. He smiled despite the tightness of his grip. In the time since they were tortured Shiro had gotten much more tactile when he saw Ichigo again. Ichigo thought it had something to do with being forced apart for so long. Of course, also having someone try to eliminate him from Ichigo's soul might have had something to do with it.

"Shiro, can't breathe…" Ichigo wheezed.

Shiro let go of him and stood back. "Good to see ya, King. You sent me another brat to take care of," he told him as he pointed out into the water.

Darting around in the black tinted water was a small figure. Like Yazu, this one was running and darting about the dropping black ichor of Ichigo's madness. He finally ran out of the water in he bubble and stood there staring at Ichigo for a minute. He was a thin boy with broad shoulders. He had long orange hair with a pair of triangular wolfish ears on top of his head in a matching color to his hair. He also had large, brown eyes. Around his left ear, a bone fragment sat that curled around to the back of his neck underneath his hair.

"Dam!" he said and embraced Ichigo, recognizing him immediately.

Ichigo hugged the child to him and smiled. "Such a strong little boy," he said and knelt to look him eye to eye. "What is your name?"

He grinned broadly. "Hisashi," he said and then ran back out into tainted water.

Ichigo stood up as he watched him go, jumping between buildings that he could now see in the murkiness off the water. He turned to Shiro and Zangetsu.

"The water is clearer."

"I've noticed that," Zangetsu agreed, looking out at the world outside their small bubble. "The bubble we reside in has also increased in size."

"So am I getting my sanity back?" Ichigo wondered, walking forward to touch the bubble that was between him and his madness.

Shiro snorted. "I don't know if I'd go that far. I think things are getting better, but what's wrong with your head ain't gonna just go away because you had a baby."

He shook his head. "I don't mean that I think it's going to suddenly make me better. Nothing can fix everything that's broken, but I know I'm more lucid when I'm around Grimmjow and the other, and now Yazu keeps my attention from going to the things I can't see."

"What do you see anyway?" Shiro asked, coming up behind him and putting his hands around him from behind.

"Different things," Ichigo explained. "When I'm sane, it's hard to describe it. Sometimes I see butterflies, and sometimes I see sparrows. I know that they aren't good or bad by themselves, but sometimes they're horrific beasts, and others they are cute and cuddly little things. I still hear the voices I created, the other Shiro and Zan, but they don't sway me as much as they used to. The fake Shiro still whispers terrible things to me, and Zan still does the opposite of what he does." Ichigo paused. "It's funny what happens when you lose your mind."

"I'm just glad you're sane when you come in here," Shiro told him as he squeezed him from behind again. "You can have at least a few moments when things aren't muddled."

Ichigo nodded. "Muddled, yes, muddled is what I feel like. Like thinking is hard to do sometimes. Other times, my thoughts come quick and what I would say is normally, but sometimes they are slow and dull. Something different about the ways in which I perceive the world around me."

"The drawing helps," Zangetsu pointed out.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Drawing things in red soothes me, even when I'm agitated by the things I'm seeing. I wonder why I turned to blood for my relief. I guess it became so normal to me that I equate seeing blood to being able to think a little bit. I do wonder why, though, it became so very important to me."

"It doesn't matter," Shiro said and spun him around. "My King is getting better and I get a chance to spar with the others."

Nodding again, Ichigo looked up at the dropping ichor that fell on top of the bubble. He noted that it did indeed seem to be higher than it was.

"I should go back," he said finally. "I'll be back," he told them and faded away.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

After spending almost a week with Starrk, mostly cuddling in the pillows, Ichigo came back to his room with Aizen and fell into the bed. Yazu squealed happily and crawled up to him and nuzzled into his arms. "Dam!" she said with a loud voice.

Ichigo hugged her to him and then faded into sleep again. Aizen was a bit worried by that, but figured he'd simply exhausted himself while he was with Starrk. After another week, though, Ichigo was still sleeping too much. He was only awake a few hours each day and seemed tired all the time. He wasn't sure what was happening so he ended up summoning Szayel to check on him.

When he got there, Yazu was sitting in the bed playing with the end of Ichigo's braid while he slept. Aizen looked at Szayel and frowned.

"He's been sleeping a lot. Sometimes when he's asleep, he's impossible to awaken," he told him as he sat down beside him.

"Hmm," Szayel muttered. He placed his hands on his shoulders and then opened his eyes, looking at them for a minute. His hand glided down to his stomach and he arched a pink brow.

"I think he's with child again," he said, standing up straight. "Who has he been around?"

"Starrk," Aizen commented, looking at Ichigo with concern. "Why, though, is he sleeping so much this time? He didn't do this last time with Grimmjow's baby."

"It may have to do with the increased power level of the Primera. He could be having to use more of his energy to gestate this baby than Grimmjow," Szayel explained. "This could happen with Segunda as well."

Aizen nodded, reaching down and extracting the end of Ichigo's braid from Yazu's mouth. She was not happy about that fact and started to get fussy. It didn't take long for Grimmjow to appear, hearing Yazu fuss.

"Yo, the brat need me?" Grimmjow asked as he sauntered into the room, hands in his pockets.

"Yes, it seems that Ichigo is gestating another child, Starrk's this time, and it has probably put a drain on his energy. He may be like this for the entirety of this new pregnancy." Aizen picked Yazu up and handed her over to Grimmjow.

"Want Dam!" she announced angrily.

"Hush, now," Grimmjow said to her as he situated her on his hip. "Dam's sleeping. Be a good girl, your brother or sister will be here soon."

"Brudder or sister?" she repeated, looking up at Grimmjow with her sparkling eyes.

"Yeah, your brother or sister. You want someone to play with, don't you?" Grimmjow saw that her eyes lit up, somehow understanding what he was saying to her.

She stared hard at Ichigo where he lay down on the bed. "Brudder," she said with certainty.

Grimmjow smiled at her. "We'll see. Come on, we'll go play in the gardens. Won't be long until it'll be time to teach you to use a sword."

Aizen watched them go and went back to stroking Ichigo's head. Another baby so soon? He wondered how Ichigo would cope with two of them. He worried that the more were born, the more fragile he would become. He wondered if he really intended to birth a baby by each of the alphas. Six babies was going to be quite a few to get used to running all over Las Noches.

"You worry," Ichigo said suddenly, surprising Aizen out of his reverie.

"Oh, you're awake," he said and looked down to see Ichigo's eyes black and gold, and staring directly at him. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No, you worry about the babies. Where my attention will be, what I will do with so many that I have given life too. Do not worry, the best things are yet to come," he said, and his eyes bled back to normal. He blinked and looked to be following something with his eyes that no one else could see in the least. "Butterflies…" he whispered and reached out as though trying to catch them.

"Ichigo, I do worry," Aizen said quietly, staring at him for a long time.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Two more months passed quickly for everyone. Ichigo had been bed bound for most of the time, either because Szayel said he needed to rest, or because he couldn't help but rest. He hadn't given too much of a fuss, which was evidence at how bone weary he was. Szayel kept monitoring him so much that Ichigo was getting used to his lab as much as his own room.

Yazu wasn't too happy with her Dam not feeling like playing with her, and she would often get angry and throw tantrums when she was with someone besides Ichigo. Grimmjow got the brunt of the little girl's anger, but others were on the receiving end of it more than once. She was definitely in need of Ichigo's attention as often as he could give it to her. Luckily, he seemed more lucid during this pregnancy and grew in size quickly. Starrk often came to stay with him, sleeping beside him in the bed until Aizen would wake him and tell him to go back to his own room.

They knew it was coming up quickly, and this time Orihime came to see if she could talk to Ichigo before the birth. It was a good day, and so far Ichigo had been up and playing with Yazu and her dolls.

"Kurosaki-kun?" she asked as she came into the room.

Ichigo looked up and smiled at her. "Inoue," he said and waved her over. "Come see how big Yazu is now."

She smiled and came closer to the bed and looked over the little Arrancar. "She's certainly has gotten big. She's so adorable."

"Thank you," he said softly, pausing for a second as an image tried to impinge on his thoughts again.

"I don't know if you remember, but I helped at her birth," she told him as she sat down on the end of the bed.

Ichigo tilted his head to the side and thought for a minute. "I think I remember that. I don't remember a lot from when the labor started until she was born. I don't think I was very much in my right mind for that event."

"Yeah," Orihime nodded and watched as Yazu came crawling over to her from across the bed.

"Lady!" Yazu announced. Ichigo chuckled.

"She's just learning to talk well. It has been interesting to see what words she has picked up," Ichigo smiled at her. "Of course, she's picked up some not so good ones from her father."

Yazu grabbed a handful of Orihime's hair, surprising her. "Fwuck!" she said as she yanked on the hair clutched in her little fist.

"Oh my!" Orihime gasped as she pulled.

"No! Yazu, you know better than to pull hair!" Ichigo admonished as he reached over, pulling her away from Orihime and sitting her on his lap. "Now sit here for a minute."

"Do you think it will be soon?" Orihime asked as she watched Ichigo wrestle with the writhing toddler on his lap.

Ichigo nodded. "I can sense him preparing. His name is Hisashi. He'll have a set of wolf ears."

"Will they always have their animal parts? I haven't seen that happen often, even among the Arrancar I've helped birth," she asked, curious now.

Ichigo shrugged. "We think it has to do with them having a resurrección spirit. The thinking is that when they are older, they'll be able to have a more humanlike appearance and then have the transformation that will… will…" Ichigo gasped. "Oh."

"Do I need to get someone?" she asked, nervously staring at him.

He nodded. "It's time, I think. I need Starrk," he gasped, cringing in pain as he nearly doubled over from it.

Orihime got up and called out to Aizen who stood nearby talking to Grimmjow. "It's time! Please, hurry!"

Aizen and Grimmjow both rushed down to the room and came in to find Ichigo trying to stay sitting up with Yazu in his arms. He was obviously starting to feel the formation of the birth canal. Grimmjow didn't say anything, he just grabbed Yazu from Ichigo's lap and held her to the side. Orihime was beside him.

"Just breathe." She looked up to see a frazzled looking Starrk standing there. He began to leave but Ichigo called out to him.

"Come here, hurry up," he said with a grimace across his face. "I've done this before, I'll be…fine…" He gasped as the pains began shooting through his lower body. Starrk sat down on one side of the bed and grabbed his hand. Orihime had shifted into midwife mode, her actions practiced and sure.

Aizen and Grimmjow both waited impatiently outside the room as Orihime and Starrk stayed inside with Ichigo.

"This is the worst part to bear witness to," Aizen said as he looked over at Grimmjow.

Yazu wasn't happy to be held at the moment so Grimmjow set her down so she could walk around. She was much happier being able to move about the room than she was being held by anyone. They heard Ichigo cry out and they both tensed. Not much could go wrong in an Arrancar birth, but Ichigo wasn't entirely just an Arrancar.

After what seemed like forever to Grimmjow and Aizen, Orihime opened the door and smiled at them. "Come meet little Hisashi!"

Both Aizen and Grimmjow went into the room to see Ichigo holding a little wolf eared boy with a bunch of bright orange hair on top of his head. Ichigo looked exhausted and so did Starrk, who had laid down on the bed beside him at some point. He was now propped up, staring at the little boy with a look of wonder on his face.

Grimmjow moved closer with a squirming Yazu. "Look, it's your brother!"

Yazu stopped squirming and stared at the little baby in Ichigo's arms. "Brudder?" she whispered and reached on tiny hand out and touched him gently.

"Everyone, I think Ichigo could use some rest," Orihime said, reaching out and taking Hisashi from him. He was much calmer than Yazu had been at her birth and seemed quite happy to be held.

Aizen took the small child from her and smiled at his orange colored ears. He saw the bone fragment over his left ear and smiled. He was so different already from Yazu. Grimmjow held the little girl who was probably twice the size of her new brother by now.

"Two will be more difficult!" Grimmjow complained as he put Yazu back down to run around on the floor.

"At least this one seems to be less excitable," Aizen said as he smiled at his big brown eyes.

"Who knows what he'll be like soon?" Grimmjow said.

Inside the room, Ichigo snuggled into a lazy sleep with Starrk beside him. Starrk wouldn't stay much longer, mostly because Ichigo needed to get some real rest. He wanted to stay with him just for a little while longer, though.


	13. When Emptiness is Filled

Chapter Thirteen

When Emptiness is Filled

Uryū sat in the hospital staring out the window. He had been told by Orihime that Ichigo had his second child recently. The medical doctor in him cringed at the thought of a male birthing a baby, but the whole situation wasn't normal. He sighed, the heavy weight of guilt still pressed down on him. In his mind, he would often replay what he had done to his friend. There wasn't a lot to do, he thought. He knew that Orihime had started going to school to become an OB nurse. It was her way to make amends, even in the World of the Living.

One of the things that Uryū thought of often was what Ichigo would have been in the World of the Living had he spent the last ten years able to be his human self. He could have been working side by side with him by now should he have gone into medicine. He sighed and didn't hear the nurse come into his office.

"Dr. Ishida?" the nurse asked.

"Hum?" he said, turning back to the short, dark-haired nurse.

"I said, are you going home?" she repeated.

"Ah, yes, sorry, was just thinking of a friend that had a baby recently," he said before he thought of it.

The nurse smiled. "Aw, have you gone to see your friend and the baby?"

"Um, no. I had a sort of falling out with this particular friend. Said some things that I shouldn't have." Uryū stood up, collecting his papers.

"But a baby is a good occasion for new beginnings!" the nurse assured. "Just take something nice and say you're sorry for whatever you said. You'd be surprised how a baby changes the way people feel about a lot of things," she continued, waving as she left the office.

"Something nice?" Uryū repeated. He sighed and thought about contacting Chad. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go and try and visit Ichigo in Hueco Mundo. He put away his files and pulled out his cell phone to dial Chad's number.

"Hello?" he heard on the other end.

"Did Orihime tell you that Ichigo had a second baby?" he asked immediately.

After a moment Chad answered, "No, I had not heard yet."

"I was thinking of taking him something from the World of the Living for the baby and the older child. Orihime said that the little girl is starting to talk." He was still amazed at how fast the babies aged.

"Do you think he will see us?" Chad asked.

"He's seen Orihime. She said he didn't seem to be holding any grudges, and talked to her normally," Uryū explained.

Chad was silent a second. "I would like to see him again. Do you know if anyone else has been to visit him?"

"I don't think so," Uryū hadn't heard of anyone seeing him. "I don't think anyone from Soul Society has been to visit him yet."

"It has been over a year since this all began," Chad reminded Uryū.

Uryū hadn't thought of that. Ichigo had spent nearly six months with Aizen before the "rescue" mission, and then the two babies' gestations and time between; it had been about fourteen months or so. They'd passed the eleventh anniversary of his "death" without thinking of it. Somehow, that made Uryū sad to realize that such an important day had passed him by unnoticed.

"Yeah, I know," was all he could say. "Should we meet and decide what to get for the two babies?"

"I think that would be good, and then we can tell Urahara that we wish to go visit," Chad agreed.

"Alright, let's meet at the main mall entrance at four pm. I won't be sleeping today with all this on my mind," Uryū said and hung up the phone.

That afternoon, he and Chad stood outside the mall with a bag each. They'd found several toys for each of them, hopefully that could be useful for both of them as they aged. Uryū knew they were born with teeth, so only sturdy things that could be chewed on were chosen. They didn't know how they would be received at all, but they would try. It had been eight months since they had seen him attacking them on the sands of Hueco Mundo. What would he be like now? Would having two babies have changed him much? Would he still be as insane as he had been? There were a lot of questions that Uryū had for this encounter.

He and Chad picked the next weekend to make the trip, bearing with them their bags of toys that might be enjoyed by toddlers or around that age. Urahara was coming along to visit with Ichigo as well, which was good in Uryū's opinion in case he didn't receive them well.

"I hope he's having a good day…" Urahara said as they prepared to leave.

"Good day?" Uryū asked.

"From what I understand, he has some days that are better than others when he can maintain focus on whoever is there and what's happening around him. The babies have helped, as he seems more lucid around them, but they still can't quite leave him alone with them." Urahara gave a sad smile. "He loves them a great deal, though. There's a little girl named Yazu who is Grimmjow's, and a little boy named Hisashi that is Starrk's. Hisashi is the one that was just born a couple weeks ago."

"So, he's going to have one with each of them?" Uryū asked, feeling a little uncomfortable at the thought.

Urahara nodded. "Something to do with the drive he has to complete the claiming with them. After this, it will be more or less up to him if he has any others. Luckily, the pregnancies are rather quick, closer to animal pregnancies. I suppose it has to do with the way souls are transferred between them when…" Urahara trailed off. "Sorry, I find the whole thing fascinating and am going to try and be there for the next birthing he has."

Uryū nodded, and soon they were standing before Las Noches. Uryū took a deep breath and readied himself for anything. He was ready for automatic rejection at the very worst. However, he found the doors opening to them as Urahara led them into the imposing place. He looked around, seeing that the white was slowly changing to have colors added to it, making the place less threatening as the solid white had been. He looked to see Nel coming to meet them.

"You're here to see Itsygo?" she asked with a smile. "You're in luck, it's a good day."

"I'm glad," Urahara said as Nel led them to an inner room.

Ichigo was sitting in the middle of the floor with a little boy with wolf-ears seated beside him chewing on something red colored, and Grimmjow was playing with a little cat-eared girl that was climbing all over him. Starrk was sitting against the wall, asleep it seemed, and Ulquiorra was sitting with Ichigo. They didn't see the others or Aizen.

Nel indicated for them to wait there and she walked over to Ichigo to talk to him quietly. He picked his head up and looked over at them, giving a nod to her. She quickly came back.

"He said he'd like to see you," she told them and led them over. Ichigo looked up from where he was sitting. "Sit," Nel said as she sat down beside Ichigo.

Uryū and Chad tentatively sat down. "Um, hi, Ichigo," Uryū started. "I thought we'd bring some things for the babies," he started.

Ichigo nodded. Uryū handed the bag he had over and Ichigo took it, going into it and finding the toddler toys. He smiled.

"They'll like these," he finally said and pulled out a big, chunky truck and handed it over to Hisashi. "Try this, baby."

Hisashi looked at it and then took it in two chubby hands, hugging it to his chest. Ichigo then put it on the floor for him and showed him how to push it back and forth. Hisashi gasped a little then started doing it too.

"Dam!" they heard and Ichigo looked up to see Yazu running from where Grimmjow was laying on the floor. He opened his arms and she jumped into them. "Dam, toys?"

"Yes, yes, sweetie," Ichigo said and looked up to see Chad handing him another bag. "Do you want to see what's in here?"

Yazu put her face in the bag and pulled out a rag doll. She shook it violently for a second and then giggled. Ichigo shook his head and pulled out a couple other toys like a ball with a bell inside it, and a little train. He smiled again and looked at Chad.

"Thank you, both," he commented and looked over at Uryū. "I'm glad you came. I don't see anyone very often."

Nel smiled and put an arm around his shoulders. "Well, you are seeing them now."

He looked up to Urahara who was standing behind Uryū and Chad. He smiled at him. "I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I know, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," Urahara said with his hat twirling in his hands. "I wanted to congratulate you on the babies. They are growing so much already!"

Ichigo nodded, stopping for a second to stare into space before he shook his head once and looked back at his visitors. Uryū noticed it but didn't mention it. He started as he felt Hisashi crawl over to him and sit down on his lap. He blinked, looking down at the crop of wild orange hair he had on his head. He looked up at Uryū and grinned, showing a mouth full of slightly feral looking teeth.

"He likes you," Ichigo said softly and Uryū took Hisashi's little hand. Hisashi then picked up Uryū's hand and stuck it in his mouth suddenly, sucking on his fingers. Ichigo laughed as Uryū looked shocked and tried to retrieve his hand. The little boy, though, was not interested in letting go of him, so bit down on his fingers. Uryū's eyes went wide as he stilled his hand.

"Hisashi!" Ichigo said, leaning forward and grabbing the baby around the waist to pull him back to his lap. "No biting!" he scolded and hugged him to his chest before setting him in front of the truck again to play with it.

Uryū rubbed his fingers and smiled at him. "It's okay, no harm."

"They like to bite on things from the day they're born," Ichigo mused, rubbing the top of Hisashi's head as he played with the little truck.

Ulquiorra didn't say anything, he just sat beside Ichigo and seemed to stare impassively at both Chad and Uryū. Uryū found it slightly disconcerting to say the least. He tried to ignore the stare the Arrancar had. He supposed it was better than being outwardly dismissed.

"How have you been?" Uryū asked, tearing his eyes away from the little child playing in front of him. Yazu was sitting on Ichigo's lap with the rag doll, shaking it now and then.

Ichigo paused for a minute, then blinked. "I have good days and bad days," he said, leaning his head back and looking over where Grimmjow was still laying on the ground waiting for Yazu to return to play again. "Yazu, go show your Da the toy," he said and set her down on her feet. She ran over to Grimmjow and shoved the rag doll in Grimmjow's face. Ichigo snorted and shook his head. "Silly girl."

"You seem happy enough," Uryū commented, not sure what else to say. He'd wanted to come visit and here he was unable to figure out what to do. Chad was just sitting there silently, but he hadn't expected him to say much.

Ichigo nodded. "Most days."

Uryū glanced up at Urahara. Urahara cleared his throat. "Is there anything you need from the World of the Living?" he asked.

Tilting his head to the side, Ichigo looked up at him. "Just things for the babies. I don't need much else. I…" he stopped, suddenly staring off past Uryū's head.

Nel looked over at him and sighed. "Itsygo? You there?" she asked.

Ichigo didn't answer, just reached out to try and touch something no one else could see. "Red," he mumbled.

"Okay, I think it might be enough for him today," Nel said softly as she looked at the others. Ulquiorra had already picked up Hisashi and pulled him away. "Grimm!" she called, getting the Arrancar's attention. He looked over and nodded, picking up Yazu.

"I'll go get Aizen," he said and walked out of the room with the writhing tot in his arms.

"Is he okay?" Uryū asked as he continued to try and reach something.

"As okay as he ever is," Nel said sadly and pulled his arm down back to his body. "There's nothing there."

He turned and stared at her and made a sour face. "But…they're getting away…" he whispered.

"Yeah, I know. Let them go," she said and looked up as Aizen came into the room.

Uryū and Chad both stiffened. Aizen, though, only looked to Ichigo. He walked over and helped him to his feet. "Ichigo, let's go back to our room, tell your friends good-bye," he said, sparing a glance over at Uryū, Chad, and Urahara.

Ichigo looked at Aizen, then turned unfocused eyes on them. "Good-bye," he repeated as he walked out with Aizen.

By this point, Starrk had awoken and picked up Hisashi. He locked eyes on them as though debating what to say if anything. "He does like to see you," he said finally, adjusting Hisashi on his hip. "I know it is hard to see him like this, but your visit triggers a lot of memories for him, so it is expected for him to struggle. But don't take that as a reason not to come see him. He still loves you all very much."

Starrk turned and headed out of the room leaving Nel and Ulquiorra with Chad, Uryū, and Urahara. Uryū stood up, followed by Chad.

"He is happy," Chad said as he looked at Uryū.

"He's as good as he can be," Nel confirmed. "He loves the babies, and he loves spending time with people when he's lucid."

"Uryū, Chad, I'll take you back. I want to stay here and discuss what they're doing for his condition with their scientist." Urahara gestured for both of them to follow him back toward the exit.

Uryū couldn't help but have a hollow feeling at what he had just seen. They'd done that to him. They had turned Ichigo into what he was now. At least he was happy most the time, he told himself. But as painful as it was, he would come back and see him again. If it made him happier, Uryū would do it as his own form of penance.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo knew who he had to go to next. The emptiness of Ulquiorra's being yearned to be filled. He knew that, even at his least lucid times. Once again, when the baby was about two months old, he found himself seeking Ulquiorra out. He just left one night in the middle of the night, leaving Aizen watching him go. Hisashi had stayed that night with Starrk, and Yazu with Grimmjow.

He found himself at Ulquiorra's rooms, staring at the door. He opened it and entered, seeing Ulquiorra's plain room. Ulquiorra was seated on a sofa when he came in. He walked over to him and wrapped both arms around him with a deep sigh.

"You have come to me?" Ulquiorra asked quietly.

"Hmm. Ulquie." He nuzzled into his neck and nipped at his throat.

Over the last two months, Ichigo had been nearer to Ulquiorra than most the others. Of course, he rarely saw Jatya, as he was sequestered often in his own rooms. With the babies keeping him busy, he had only really seen Szayel regularly as he checked on him and offered him serums to try and help control the madness better. Now, though, he needed to make Ulquiorra know that he didn't have to be empty any longer. He knew this at the heart of his being.

"Is there a reason that you have come here to me?" Ulquiorra was trying to obviously keep a neutral face.

"The emptiness…" Ichigo answered and traced a finger down Ulquiorra's lips. "It calls to me, to be fulfilled."

Ulquiorra had tried to distance himself from all his emotions for as long as he could remember. He was emotionless, at least that's what he wanted to believe and what he wanted others to see. However, since he'd claimed Ichigo, emotions had been welling up in him like never before. He was starting to feel things.

"Feel with me…" Ichigo murmured, leaning closer to kiss at the side of his mouth. "You feel nothing. Yet everything is here for you to feel should you want it."

Ulquiorra took a deep breath, nearly gasping as he realized that he was starting to feel things. He simply had to accept them. They were there, in the midst of his emptiness, there was something welling. It was like something foreign that he didn't know what to do with. He reached up with a sudden jolt of passion going through his body. He grasped Ichigo's face and pressed his lips to him roughly, harshly. Ichigo responded, opening his mouth to let him enter forcefully. This was bringing passion to the empty shell that Ulquiorra had become, and it was something that had been coming for a long time, if slowly.

Ichigo let him dominate the kiss and melted into it. Teeth clashed with the ferocity that Ulquiorra suddenly had begun to act. Ichigo became a doll at his touch, moving only when and where he wished. He broke away from the rough kissing and began to pull at Ulquiorra's hakama with his hands, pulling him free of their confines. Ichigo wasn't disappointed with him. He slid down off the sofa he was sitting on between his legs and took him into his mouth with one move. Ulquiorra immediately grabbed both hands into his hair and slammed his head down, forcing himself easily down Ichigo's throat. He tried to breathe around him but found the force to be too much to e anything. He swallowed and tried to keep from passing out.

Seeing Ichigo wasn't able to breathe, Ulquiorra let go of him, letting him come up for air gasping with watering eyes. He only had a moment before Ulquiorra had grabbed him by the hair to push him down again. This was repeated several more times, luckily Ulquiorra managed to let him go in time so that he could breathe. He seemed to have an intuitive sense of when to let go so that Ichigo didn't pass out.

He grabbed his hair and pulled him up to stand and let Ichigo straddle his lap, propping his legs up beside him on the sofa. Without warning, Ulquiorra reached under and pushed himself inside with one hard thrust. Ichigo gasped and threw his head back at the burning sensation that came from being taken so quickly. Luckily, the wetness remained, and he wasn't hurt by the sudden intrusion. He planted his hands on Ulquiorra's shoulders and pushed back until he was sliding back and forth on him, successfully keeping up a fast enough pace that Ulquiorra wasn't forcing him to go faster. Ulquiorra's face was still impassive, but Ichigo could tell that there was emotion just under the surface as he held tightly to him.

Rocking back and forth quickly, he managed to keep Ulquiorra satisfied with the pace for a while. When he started to slow, Ulquiorra began to thrust up into him harder and faster. Ichigo knew that this was new for him, and he let him guide them with the ferocity that he wanted to use. He gasped as he began to slide just right against his sweet spot. He moaned out finally, trying not to make any sound because he wasn't sure what would be best with Ulquiorra.

Stopping, Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo and whispered, "Louder."

Ichigo nodded, not holding back now as he slammed up into him a couple times. He grabbed his hips and flipped them over on the sofa, standing up and slamming into him. Ichigo wrapped his legs around his back and let out a rather loud moan as he struck at just the right angle to make him jerk and leak profusely onto his belly. Ulquiorra was shorter, but the angle was just right for him to hit all the right places and Ichigo let him know with his voice rising.

After what felt like a long time, Ichigo knew he wasn't going to last much longer, not with the ruthless way he was slamming into him again and again. He finally felt it building until he couldn't stop it anymore and he yelled out as he fell down the crest he was riding. Ulquiorra wasn't far behind him, slamming up into him again as he released a massive burst of reiatsu into him. Ichigo gasped at the sensation, really feeling the entire transfer this time into his body of the powerful release.

Panting, Ichigo went limp, exhausted by Ulquiorra's intensity. He pulled at the yukata he was wearing to cover himself.

"I do not understand it." Ulquiorra's voice was confused, an odd thing to hear from him.

"Understand what?" Ichigo asked, sitting up from his slumped position on the sofa as Ulquiorra settled into the sofa beside him.

"You make me feel emotions I have no experience with," he said and looked at Ichigo with eyes that were more animated than normal. "Before, you fought me to death and after, forced me to push beyond my limits, and only Aizen's actions kept me from dying. You are something that I don't understand. Now, even though we fought before on equal footing, I am at your mercy instead."

Ichigo reached out and cupped his face. "Feeling is a good thing. There is nothing better. The emptiness you feel has to be filled with emotion and that includes passion and love."

"Do I love?" Ulquiorra asked, tilting his head to the side. "Is that what I feel when I look at you?"

"Tell me, what is it like?" Ichigo moved and nuzzled into Ulquiorra's chest as he sat there.

"I feel my heart beating faster. I feel like I need to make sure you are well. I hate that I cannot help you escape the madness that threatens to consume you." He stopped and looked thoughtful. "It is that I feel this emotion called love."

"I think so, but we'll work on it some more over the next few days…" Ichigo yawned, knowing that his energy was going to be gone soon.

"Come, to the bed, so you can sleep," Ulquiorra said with a glance at that doorway.

"See, you care what happens," Ichigo muttered as he got up with him and soon fell into the bed. He felt the bed move as he slipped into it beside him.

"I do not understand it at all," he whispered after Ichigo had fallen asleep. "What is that which I feel and what does it feel like to not be empty? Is that what this is?"

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Once again, Ichigo was grabbed by Shiro as he appeared in their inner word. He smirked at him. "Ulquiorra this time, huh? How's it going?"

"I think he's beginning to see. When the child is born, he will understand even better," Ichigo said as he sat down on the floor of the slightly bigger bubble. It had increased in size again. Once again, darting about in the murky water, there was a figure.

"Yeah, this one is gonna be like her daddy, I think. She's cute, though," Shiro said as from the edge of the bubble a little girl stepped into it.

She cocked her head to the side and stared at Ichigo for a few minutes before she came forward and sat down in his lap. He was taller than the other two had around been in the inner world. She had hair that was orange colored and faded to black at the tips. It fell her shoulders and her eyes were piercing green in color. There was a bone fragment band around her neck near her collarbone. Ichigo couldn't see any obvious animal traits, but he wasn't sure what would have been expecting from Ulquiorra. She looked at him and gave him a look that was exactly like Ulquiorra, almost a dead stare.

"Hello there," Ichigo whispered, running a hand over her small head. "Who are you?"

She sat quietly for a few seconds before she got up and walked back to the edge of the bubble. Once there she looked between the outside and the inside and gave a slight smile.

"I'm Makiko," she announced and walked calmly back out into the muddled water as black continued to drop down out there.

"The water is clearer still," Zangetsu said as he stood in the back of the room contained within the bubble.

"Does this make me less crazy?" Ichigo asked. "I mean, I've been having longer lucid periods according to Sōsuke."

"It means that you're mending a bit," Shiro said as he put an arm around Ichigo's back. "Insanity doesn't just go away, so there may be no real end for you."

Ichigo understood. The thought that he would suddenly be back to normal was a nice one, but he knew that it was a fallacy. It wouldn't happen like that. He would always struggle with keeping his mind on the present and not slipping into delusions and dreams of things that didn't exist. It was only in the small bubble of his inner world he had true clarity. Even at his most sane moments on the outside, he still was broken and unable to heal completely. He knew this, and he had accepted this as the way it would be.

"Yer thinkin' again," Shiro told him as he squeezed his shoulders.

"Just how much I've changed from the person I used to be," he said almost sadly.

"Yer still you," Shiro assured him. "Yer just a little different now, is all."

Ichigo was quiet for a few moments. "I never thought I'd be in this situation, but I have to admit, I love the babies, each and every one. I can't imagine life with out them. Even when I'm out of my mind, I know that. So, thank you for making me hollow enough to make something good come out of what's happened."

Shiro smirked. "I'm just happy we aren't locked up anymore."

Ichigo sighed, feeling weight of that. "They've been coming to see me, my old friends. It is odd, you know, seeing them. But I try to stay with it enough to talk to them. I can't seem to hold on for very long around them, though."

"That's natural. They caused ya to go into that room, didn't care when you did, so ya can't maintain complete control around them. You could always tell them to stop coming to see you," Shiro pointed out.

"I know, but I don't want to do that. I want to see them," Ichigo sighed again. "I should return."

"Just be yourself, whoever that is now," Shiro told him and Ichigo smiled.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

The next three months passed quickly for everyone. Ichigo felt better this time. He wasn't getting very big, very fast like before, so he guessed this one would take longer. During the time he was pregnant, he spent a lot of time with Ulquiorra, working on getting his emotions in line. There were a few incidents where he experienced anger and Ichigo had to help him work through it in a positive way. Hisashi and Yazu began playing together, both growing quickly. Then Aizen decided to go and visit the Agarthan Arrancar.

"I want to go," Ichigo stated, crossing arms over his burgeoning belly. They weren't sure of the time, but by the look, it was growing close.

"Why?" Aizen asked, frustrated by the conversation from the start.

"I want to take Yazu and Hisashi to play with some of the little ones there. Inoue told me that there were several they can play with there," Ichigo insisted. "I'm clear today, see," he told him. He was clear-headed at the moment. He wouldn't tell Aizen about the morning nightmare he had.

Finally, Ichigo was allowed to go, as long as Ulquiorra was there in case he did go into labor or needed an extra set of hands. With both Yazu and Hisashi in tow, they were soon on their way to Agartha. Ichigo clutched Hisashi on his hip awkwardly around his stomach and let Yazu walk beside him. She'd grown quite a bit in a short amount of time, but she was still about the equivalent of a two-year-old.

When they arrived at Agartha, they were met by Imelda. Ichigo vaguely remembered Imelda from before Yazu was born. He was trying very hard to stay clear headed today, though. Even though there were things that kept trying to pull his attention away going on just outside his range of vision and hearing. The nightmarish flashback he had before he woke up hadn't helped matters. It had been a vision of the time he'd been with Kurotsuchi. He knew it was more memory than dream, but he had to put it away. He couldn't dwell in that time. He had the little ones to think of now. More than anything, he had them to worry about and take care of.

Imelda approached and gave a slight bow. "Sōsuke Aizen. This is your first visit to Agartha, so I will lead you on a tour. Ichigo, you and your children can play with Niobe and my twins, Liron and Lior. They are playing in the tech quarter on some games. I'll take you there first," she led them to the tech quarter where the other children were.

Ichigo looked around, seeing the little dark-haired girl come running up to them. "New friends?" she said excitedly, hopping from one foot to the to the other.

Imelda smiled. "This is Niobe, Niobe, this is Hisashi, and this is Yazu. Be nice and play with them!" she told the little girl who nodded excitedly, then took one of Yazu's hands.

"Come play!" she said and pulled Yazu toward where a pair of boys were sitting in front of a television playing with controllers.

Ichigo looked at Hisashi. "You too?" he asked the little boy.

"Dam." He clung to Ichigo instead. Ulquiorra stood behind him and was quietly watching as usual. They waved to Aizen and Imelda as they left to tour the rest of Agartha.

Ichigo sighed. He looked up as a thin Arrancar in bicycle shorts came over to him. "I'm Dima, the twins are mine and Imelda's," he said with a grin. "I'm glad you could bring them to play. It's good for them to make new friends."

Ichigo nodded, adjusting Hisashi on his hip. "I think I'm tired of the pregnancy part of this," he said as Dima pulled a chair over for him.

By now, Yazu was playing with the two boys as well. Ichigo smiled because one of them was more excitable than the other. It reminded him of Hisashi and Yazu. He moved Hisashi over to his lap and wondered if the little boy would ever decide to go play with the others.

"I hated being pregnant," Dima confirmed with a frown.

"You're the beta?" Ichigo asked, looking over at him.

"Yeah, Imelda is my alpha. I carried the twins forever it felt like. I couldn't run and jump or do anything I wanted to do. So I know how it feels," Dima explained as he sat down in a chair beside Ichigo. "It was misery!"

"You weren't pregnant that long, Dima," another Arrancar said as she came up to them. Ichigo looked up to see a female Arrancar in pajamas, it looked like. She had protrusions that looked like whiskers of some sort on her face, and a very wide looking mouth. "I'm Electra," she said and nodded toward Ichigo. "I sort of run this place, we call it a tech guild, I dunno if we move enough to be considered a guild."

Ichigo saw two more Arrancar he thought he recognized. He blinked, trying to remember from before. Slowly, it came back to him. Pesche and Dondochakka, Nel's fraccion. He smiled as he watched them interact with the children. They seemed to enjoy being around them, and they seemed to like the two adult Arrancar. Hisashi was starting to lean toward the other kids and Ichigo set him on the floor. He toddled over where the others were playing. Yazu, of course, had brought the rag doll and was showing it to the twins now. They had been inseparable since Uryū had brought the thing to them.

There were two more Arrancar lazing over on the other side of the room, one with a box over him, and the other with a blanket thrown over his shoulders. Ichigo wondered who they were, but at that moment, Ichigo was feeling something that he hadn't been expecting so soon.

"Oh, oh my," he said, hands clutching his belly. He blinked and looked up at Ulquiorra. "I think maybe Makiko has decided to arrive," he said and Ulquiorra's impassive face changed to one of worry.

"Now is not the best time," Ulquiorra informed him.

"Tell that to your daughter!" Ichigo exclaimed as the pains started again. It was a good thing that he never really remembered much about this part afterward. Otherwise, he doubted he would do it again, no matter what the instincts told him to do.

Dima jumped up. "I'll go get Imelda! They're not far yet!" he exclaimed, zipping off, leaving Ichigo to sit breathing heavily.

A few moments later, Aizen and Imelda came back with Dima. Aizen sighed. "I tried to tell you to stay in Las Noches," he muttered as he knelt beside him.

"I don't need to be reminded," Ichigo snapped, growling under his breath.

"Here, let's get you to our medical bay and Kriya can assist," Imelda told him and helped him to stand. Ulquiorra stood on the other side, for once looking worried as they walked.

"What about Hisashi and Yazu?" he gasped, looking back into the tech room where both of them were occupied with a game on a television.

Aizen put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll stay with them. They seem busy. I'll send for Grimmjow and Starrk to come and pick them up."

"Okay," Ichigo, still looking worried, slowly made his way with a few stops along the way because of the pains shooting through his lower regions.

Before long, he and Ulquiorra were in one of the rooms with Kriya. Since they hadn't known when the baby was going to arrive, Orihime hadn't come this time from the World of the Living, and Szayel had intended to help with the birth if need be. Ichigo was a little nervous because he didn't know this Kriya, but she seemed to know what she was doing. He stared for a minute at the shorter Arrancar that followed her, Moab he found was his name. He had what looked like donkey ears on his head. It was very surreal to Ichigo, and he had to ask if he was seeing things or not.

Makiko decided to take her time, though, and it was several hours before Ichigo was holding the small girl with her orange and black hair. She seemed to know Ulquiorra and locked eyes with him immediately. Ichigo smiled and promptly passed out after handing her over to her father. Ulquiorra stood still, staring down into the small face, and once again, a feeling built in his chest that was unfamiliar for the longest time. It was a feeling that Ichigo had shown him, and it was a feeling now that he felt on his own. He knew what it was though. It was love.


	14. When Despair is Transformed

Renji sat alone in the ramen shop. He was thinking rather than eating at all as he sat there. He jerked when someone sat down beside him. He blinked to see it was Ikkaku, and Yumichika wasn't far behind him.

"Hey," Ikkaku told him with light punch to his shoulder.

"Hey," he responded in a lackluster sounding voice.

"What's got you down today?" Yumichika asked as he pushed his hair behind his ears.

"Oh, just the word is that Ichigo had a third baby," he muttered and poked at his bowl of ramen. He was feeling a bit depressed because of it.

Ikkaku snorted. Renji turned to him. "Well, why haven't you gone to see him?"

"I just don't think he'd want to see me," he sighed, leaning back from his food. He wasn't hungry anymore.

"Didn't you hear that he saw Inoue, Chad, and Ishida?" Yumichika asked as the waiter set down a bowl for him and one for Ikkaku.

Renji licked his lips and chewed his bottom lip for a second. "But they weren't _here_. They weren't ignoring him while he was suffering."

Ikkaku sighed. "You should see him. I haven't been up there yet, but we're planning on seeing him the next time we visit Agartha."

"I haven't even been back there," Renji said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You can't wallow in guilt forever," Ikkaku reminded him. "You should go see him. Rukia should go too. I bet he'd love to have you meet the kids. I mean, they're growing fast since they're Arrancar."

"That's so weird, him now being an Arrancar, how does that affect who he is?" Renji wondered, finally eating from his bowl as he spoke.

Yumichika reached over and patted his arm. "You just have to go and see him, now don't you? It's still Ichigo. If a little crazy, but since when was any of us really sane?"

"I'm sure you're right. Maybe I would feel better if I just went to see him. He's mostly happy there, from what I hear." Renji had heard that he was doing well from those that went to visit Las Noches or Agartha.

Finishing up his food, Renji stood and left, thinking he'd see if Rukia wanted to make a trip through to Las Noches to see him. They arranged a trip with everyone and Rukia and Renji found themselves in front of Las Noches.

"Well, we're here," Renji said as they stepped forward to the gates.

"Well, Renji, Rukia," came a voice and they looked up to see Urahara. "You've come to visit finally!"

"Urahara-san," Rukia said as she saw he was with Nel. "What are you doing here?"

He nodded at Nel. "I was visiting to see if I could help Ichigo any, since of course, Kurotsuchi-taichou isn't allowed to come near him."

Renji nodded. "I see. Um, we were hoping to see him today."

Nel and Urahara exchanged a look, and both Renji and Rukia knew that something was off about today. Urahara cleared his throat. "Well, you can see him, just don't expect much. We're having a bad day."

"A bad day?" Rukia asked, frowning at him.

"Yeah, he has good and bad days, different amounts of clarity, I'd suppose you'd say. He was pretty clear headed up until Makiko was born, but since then he's had a rough couple of weeks. It is impossible to tell how long it might last," Urahara explained. "But come, you can see him at least."

Renji and Rukia followed Urahara and Nel into an inner room where several of the Arrancar were seated while on the floor, Ichigo laid in the middle with three small children climbing on him. He, in the meantime, was scribbling in a red pencil on a pad of paper. Grimmjow was sitting nearest to him and seemed to be watching them closely. Ulquiorra was leaning against the wall, looking uninterested in the events in the room. Szayel and Starrk were both seated on a nearby sofa. It looked like Starrk had fallen asleep.

Urahara smiled and nodded toward Renji and Rukia. "Alright, I'll see if he can't talk to you a little."

He walked over and knelt beside him. He jerked when Urahara touched him. He looked over at them with wide eyes and nodded. He sat up and stared over at them. Urahara came over and gestured for Renji and Rukia to come with him. They walked over and tried to smile.

"Have a seat," Urahara told them as he sat down on the floor near them.

Renji and Rukia both sat down on the floor beside him. Renji cleared his throat. "Um, hi, Ichigo," he said tentatively.

"Hi." Ichigo blinked at him, brown eyes looking somewhat red.

"Dam!" one of the children yelled, getting his attention. It was the biggest one of them, the one with cat ears on top of her little head. "Dam gonna color?"

"Yes, Yazu. I'll color more. Just a minute," he told her and she went back to playing with a rag doll she was carrying.

"We thought we'd come see how you were doing," Rukia started.

"Yeah," he said simply and stared at them somewhat vacantly.

"Ichigo, why don't you introduce the little ones?" Urahara prompted from beside Renji.

Ichigo nodded. "Yazu is the oldest. Then Hisashi," he pointed to the little boy that was sitting quietly playing with a truck with a pair of wolfish ears on top of his orange head. "And Makiko is the baby," he pointed to the little girl who kept standing up and toddling before she sat down again on the floor.

"They're very cute," Rukia told him, looking over at Urahara. "Did you pick out their names?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, they told me their names in here," he said, pointing to his head.

Renji and Rukia exchanged a look. She continued. "Oh, well, that's good."

"Ichigo says they visit his inner world before they're born and tell him their names," Urahara explained.

"Ah," Renji said, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the blank stare Ichigo seemed to have more often than not.

Ichigo seemed to look through them more than at them, they both noticed. Renji tried again. "How are you doing today?"

He turned, staring at him a second before grinning. "Beautiful."

Renji exchanged a look with Rukia while Urahara spoke up, "Ichigo, tell Renji and Rukia about what Yazu did today."

Ichigo looked confused for a moment then he smiled again. "Yazu hugged Makiko and said 'my sister' for the first time today. She says 'my brudder' all the time about Hisashi, but sister took her longer to say."

"Oh, that's nice," Rukia said, but Renji could tell she was struggling with her composure.

"Ah, Ichigo, what else do the children do?" Urahara encouraged.

Ichigo was still smiling and staring at a point beyond Renji's head. Urahara tried again. "Ichigo, are you with us?"

He looked for a second than blinked and looked at Urahara directly. "Yeah, I'm here. It's a tough day."

"Yeah, I know," Urahara said and smiled at him gently. "What else do you want to say to Renji and Rukia?"

Ichigo looked at them, as though just seeing them for the first time. He seemed to pale a little and the red streaks on his cheeks grew in intensity for a second before they faded again. "Ah, how are you?"

"Good," Rukia told him, and Renji could tell she was still struggling to keep herself from breaking down. "Things have been quiet with Hueco Mundo not being a threat right now."

"Yeah, we're no threat. I told Master that I didn't want anyone to die," he said, grabbing the end of his braid and playing thoughtlessly with the band and the cloth that ran through it. "Sōsuke is a good person, he saved me, you know."

Renji swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, we know."

"Dam!" came an insistent voice beside him. He turned and Yazu was standing there with her little hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "Dam play!"

"Just a moment, Yazu," Ichigo said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm talking to old friends."

"Frens?" she repeated, looking between Renji and Rukia. "Okay, I go play with brudder."

Ichigo smiled as she left. "They're very sweet, you know. They understand I can't always play with them or even be around them at the worst times," he explained, looking back to Renji and Rukia again. "I try to be clear for them, but sometimes I can't help it. The only time I can think straight is in my inner world, then it fades when I come out."

"Do you need anything?" Renji asked, still not comfortable with the way Ichigo talked so matter-of-fact about his insanity.

"Toys for the babies are always nice. Uryū brought that doll that Yazu plays with, and she hasn't given it up since then," he smiled, watching her play with Hisashi.

"Do you want anything for you?" Rukia tried.

He looked surprised at the question. "Well, not really. I can't think of anything I need. I'm glad you came, but I think you should probably go now. I need to go to my Master," he said as he stood up.

Urahara put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait here, Nel will get him," he told Ichigo as Nel left the room.

"Okay," he said hollowly and just stared off past the doorway.

"What happened?" Rukia asked as she stood up followed by Renji.

"Nothing really. He's just reached his limit for the day," Urahara explained, holding onto Ichigo's yukata sleeve to keep him from wandering off.

A few seconds later, they saw Aizen come into the room. He locked eyes on Renji and Rukia for a moment. He didn't say anything, only came over where Urahara was standing with Ichigo.

"Ichigo," Aizen said near him.

Ichigo turned toward him and tipped his head to the side. Urahara pushed on his shoulders. "Go on with Sōsuke, Ichigo. You need a break."

"Break," he echoed, but allowed Aizen to take his arm and lead him back out of the room.

At that point, Rukia lost her control and let her tears go. Renji startled a little and went over to put an arm around her. A few seconds later, a tiny hand was pulling on her sleeve. Rukia wiped her eyes and looked to see the little boy with wolf ears standing there staring at her.

"Sad," he said and hugged Rukia's leg.

Rukia got herself under control and put a hand on Hisashi's back as he stood there. He then let go and smiled at her, sharp canines sticking out of his lips. "No sad." He turned and walked back over where the other two had decided to leap on Grimmjow.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, wiping angrily at her face. "I told myself I wasn't going to do that."

"It's okay," Urahara told her and smiled gently. "He's actually much better now than he used to be. Sōsuke said that at first, he was barely coherent enough to put together a sentence or two. He's come a long way, and the children seem to be helping. Makiko's birth was a little difficult, so we think that's why he's been so out of it this time."

"I still… We did this to him. He would be home, doing who knows what, having a human family…" she whispered.

"But he isn't. And we can't dwell on might have been. Right now, he's doing as well as he can. He has his family here, and he cares for them deeply. Don't pity him. That is the last thing that he wants." Urahara looked over to see Nel had come back. "Nel can take you to the front." He turned an left them with her.

"I've become a go between for Itsygo." She smiled as she walked them to the front gates again. "He enjoys seeing his friends, though. Don't mistake his madness for him not wanting to see you. I think it is good for him to face what has happened and move forward."

Renji and Rukia nodded as they walked with her. "We'll have to come back again," Renji said finally as they reached the front.

"Please, do. I'm sure we'll have more babies soon," Nel chuckled.

"More? He's already had three? Isn't that enough?" Rukia asked with an incredulous stare.

"He'll give each of his mates a baby, so three more will be born. It is better this way than multiple babies at one time. That he might not survive," Nel explained. "But there may be more of a break this time since Makiko, Hisashi, and Yazu came so close together. His instincts will drive him to concrete his bond with each of the alphas. The children will grow fast, as you saw from the babies in Agartha. Unlike human babies, the Arrancar babies are born and grow to maturity quickly."

"Still, that seems like so much for him, like he is now," Rukia stated, looking away from her at the thought of him going through three more pregnancies and births.

"He'll be fine," Nel assured.

Renji and Rukia hoped she was right as they headed back to soul society.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

This time, Ichigo waited longer before he sought out his mate for the next birth. Almost six months passed with him spending a lot of time with the three alphas he already had given birth for. He still spent time with the others, but not as much. During that time, things became relatively stable. Ichigo still had his good and bad days, but it seemed the good days outnumbered the bad ones. People would come and visit, mostly bringing gifts for the children with them. Renji, Rukia, Uryū, and Chad became frequent visitors, with Urahara spending a lot of time with Szayel working on possible solutions that would help Ichigo.

Ichigo would often spar with Nnoitra and Grimmjow to keep his skills up. While they were sparing, the three children would often stay with Starrk. Starrk had become quite the baby-sitter, even though he really didn't do anything. The kids all seemed to enjoy climbing all over him and his pillows. Lilynette even grudgingly came to like the "little monsters" as she called them. Lilynette would fret over them and make sure none of them ran off. Yazu would follow her around, which Starrk thought was amusing.

The one thing that was good was that Ichigo seemed less likely to get injured now. Everyone was glad of that. He still had days when he took things too far, but they had become less frequent. All in all, Ichigo's life became very predictable and set in routines.

It was during a sparring match with both Nnoitra and Grimmjow that Ichigo felt the sensation wash over him and the need coursing through his veins. He stopped, swinging his swords down and froze.

"Ichi-babe?" Nnoitra asked, relaxing his stance.

Grimmjow was the one who smelled the scent first, then Nnoitra. "Oh, that's what it is," Grimmjow muttered, smelling Nnoitra's scent grow in intensity in response.

"Nnoi," Ichigo muttered stepping forward and dropping both Zangetsu to the ground of the training room.

Nnoitra smirked and motioned him forward. "Come on, then. Leave it to you ta get worked up during a fight."

Grimmjow stood there for a second, arching one brow as he watched Ichigo's nearly drunk look. When he'd been with Grimmjow, it had been one of several times that they had been together. There was no distinct point he could pin on the creation of Yazu.

"I guess, I'll, uh, leave ya to it," Grimmjow muttered, scratching the back of his head.

Nnoitra glanced up at him, still smirking. "Why leave when you can join in the fun?"

Grimmjow blinked. It wasn't like it would be the first time. But to be here for an important moment such as this, he wasn't sure about it. "Well, if Ichi is okay with it."

Nnoitra leaned down, tipping Ichigo's face upward. "Do you mind if Grimmjow plays with us?"

"Nu uh," he shook his head and glanced at Grimmjow.

Reaching down, Nnoitra untied Ichigo's obi and let his hakama slip off his hips to the floor. He didn't have to wonder if he was in the mood for this because it was readily apparent by his state. Nnoitra licked his lips, leaning down and pulling Ichigo's head back by the hair to kiss him roughly.

"Here, on your hands and knees," Nnoitra told him. He obediently dropped to his knees and leaned over onto his hands.

"Grimmjow can have your mouth while I take care of your greedy ass," Nnoitra said.

Ichigo nodded, looking up at Grimmjow and knowing what to expect with both of them. Nnoitra slipped one hand down his ass and slid two fingers into him at once. Grimmjow pulled himself free of his pants and pressed against Ichigo's lips. He opened his mouth wider and cut his eyes up at him. Grimmjow growled, grabbing him by the braid and pulling him forward on him. Nnoitra still had the amused smirk on his face as he rapidly fingered him. He was impatient, but he also knew it had been a while for him. He seemed to have no sex drive other than the need to complete the claiming rites with the alphas. Of course, Nnoitra didn't know what he and Aizen got up to in their bedroom.

Pulling his fingers out, he undid his own obi and pressed into him immediately. He felt his body clench around him as Grimmjow slowly fucked his mouth. He gasped and leaned over him, fully seating himself and clutching his upper body. He guessed by the feel that he and Aizen hadn't been getting up to much on their own. He reached underneath him and felt him dripping wet in his hand. Grimmjow was using his hair to control his head, finding that the braid was an excellent handhold. He was trying to be careful not to choke him too much, but the look of him with his eyes watering and panting breaths around his cock was hard to resist.

He felt Nnoitra's pace increase from behind, setting Ichigo to moaning deep in his throat, making nice vibrations. He looked over to see Nnoitra had stood up on his knees and was slamming forward into him pretty hard. He felt like he wouldn't last much longer at this rate, so he grabbed his braid and held him still while he slammed him all the way into his throat. It didn't take more than a couple thrusts that way for Grimmjow to go off. He pulled Ichigo's head back, finding him panting for breath with spit dripping from the corners of his mouth. He put his head down on the ground on top of his arms as Nnoitra continued to pound into him. Nnoitra finally decided that he'd had enough because he leaned over and started stroking Ichigo underneath with the same rhythm of his thrusts. It didn't take long for Ichigo to let out a mewling moan as he came onto Nnoitra's hand.

Nnoitra held on through it, the tight, quivering flesh making it difficult. He grabbed his hips hard enough that they would be bruised by the time he was done and slammed into him several times before he found his release. The reiatsu burst slammed into Ichigo with force that left him weak as he fell down onto the floor below him.

"Well, that's one way to finish a fight," Nnoitra muttered, tying his obi.

Grimmjow snorted and gathered Ichigo's clothes, sitting down beside him. Ichigo still looked a bit out of it, but he took his hakama and managed to put them back on. Nnoitra knelt down and tilted his head up and kissed him fully.

"I think I'll go check on Yazu and the others with Starrk. Hopefully they haven't driven him out of his pillow nest," Grimmjow said as he stood up, leaving the two of them to do whatever they were doing.

Nnoitra nodded, putting an arm around Ichigo's shoulders for a second before he swept him up in his arms. Ichigo gasped, grabbing onto him tightly.

"Let's go back to my room," he told him as he headed down the corridors toward his rooms.

Once they arrived, Ichigo was dropped into the bed and followed by Nnoitra. Ichigo turned into him, wrapping arms around him securely.

"I've accepted you," he mumbled against Nnoitra's chest.

Nnoitra blinked, surprised at such an admission. Over the last few weeks, he'd begun to wonder about his connection with Ichigo. He put his arms around his back, pulling him in tightly. Was there something worth having here? He would have a child. The baby would be his this time, and not anyone else's. He'd chosen to come to him again, so that meant they were bound together. At least that was what he thought.

"Yeah, Ichi-babe, yeah, you have," Nnoitra sighed, feeling the meaning behind those words as being real and solid. For the first time in a long while, he was hopeful.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo opened his eyes, lying on his back in the inner world. Shiro looked over at him with a grin. "Was wonderin' when you'd show up."

"Yeah, just had to settle Nnoitra down," he explained and sat up.

"Well, this one… This one is unique," Shiro pointed out into the water where a figured was darting about between the now mostly visible buildings. It got closer and came into the bubble and smiled a wide smile at Ichigo. She had long black hair and big brown eyes, but most interesting of all, she had four arms. Ichigo tilted his head to the side and blinked. She looked a lot like Nnoitra, long and lanky, but she had Ichigo's eyes.

"Who are you, my love?" Ichigo asked, gesturing her to come toward him.

She came over and wrapped her arms around Ichigo and whispered in a husky voice, "I'm Tamashini." She let go of him and smiled. "I'll see you soon."

She turned and walked back out into the water, sidestepping the dropping blackness easily. Ichigo watched her go and sighed.

"What am I going to do when they're all born? I mean, I guess them having different fathers helps in that, more hands to help with, but still. That's a lot of kids running around Las Noches…" Ichigo looked at Shiro seriously.

Shiro chuckled. "Wait 'til they get their resurrección. That should be a fun experience for everyone."

"When will that happen?" Ichigo wondered.

Shiro shook his head and Zangetsu spoke up behind them. "They will also inherit your mother's legacy."

Ichigo turned toward him and tilted his head to the side. "My mother's legacy?"

Zangetsu stood there impassively and only stared at him. "Your father will explain things when you ask about her."

Ichigo wasn't sure how to take that. "I don't know if I'll see him again."

"You will," Zangetsu assured. "Then ask him about your mother's legacy."

"What do you know?" Ichigo asked, eyes narrowing at him.

"That is a story for your family to tell. On a clear day, it will make sense. And it will always make sense here," he continued.

Ichigo stared for a second then turned to Shiro. "I'll get back, but I'll see you soon."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo woke the next day rather clear headed and snuggled into Nnoitra's body. He heard him mumble in his sleep and he wondered what it was that Nnoitra dreamed about. Zangetsu's words still rang in his head. His mother's legacy. He would have to find out what it was that he meant since the children would inherit it…

"Yer awake," Nnoitra muttered, tightening his grip around him with his long-fingered hands.

"Yeah," he breathed out and tried not to move because he was comfortable.

"What you said yesterday, that you accepted me. Why did you say that?" he wondered, and Ichigo knew he didn't expect an answer from Ichigo.

"Tamashini is her name," Ichigo smiled into his chest. "And she looks a lot like you."

"You already know that?" he said as he turned to look at him.

Ichigo nodded, locking eyes on Nnoitra's one eye. "I see them inside."

"That sounds like something a crazy person would say," Nnoitra mumbled, reaching out and pulling Ichigo's head back by his braid. "This is quite a good handhold."

Ichigo swallowed, throat exposed to him. He leaned in and began to bite lightly at the flesh there. He exhaled, knowing that Nnoitra was going to want more. Even this early in the morning, he was just fine with that.

It was around two and a half months later when Ichigo would get the chance to see his father again. He was starting to grow close with this one, getting rather big rather fast this time, and Aizen came to find him while he was with the children in what they were calling the Playroom. There were all sorts of toys from the World of the Living and Soul Society.

"Ichigo," Aizen said as he came into the room.

Ichigo, having a good day, looked up from where he was rolling a ball with Hisashi. "Yeah?"

"Your father has come to visit you if you will see him." Aizen waited patiently for him to decide what he wished to do.

"I'll see him. Show him here," Ichigo responded, not pausing in playing with Hisashi.

Aizen nodded, turning back out of the room. As always, Ichigo wasn't alone. Today, Starrk was in the playroom with him. Even on his clearest days, there could be a moment when he wasn't able to pay attention to the babies. After about fifteen minutes, Aizen came back in with Isshin and Urahara.

Ichigo looked up, feeling conflicted at seeing his father again. He pushed Hisashi the ball and then stood up, walking over to where they had set up a table and chairs. Starrk was leaned back against the wall in one of the chairs, not asleep at all. He looked over as the two men approached. Aizen came over and put his hands on Ichigo's shoulders.

"When you want them to go, just say so and Urahara will take him back." Aizen leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"Okay," he nodded as he sat down next to Starrk.

Isshin and Urahara sat down on the other side of the table. "Son, you're looking well."

Ichigo nodded. "Today's a good day," he agreed. "Some days aren't good days."

"Urahara told me that you will be having this child soon," Isshin continued. "Can I meet them?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yazu, Makiko, Hisashi, come here."

The three came over, leaving their toys except for Yazu who came with her ragdoll. Ichigo smiled and pulled Makiko onto his lap. He pointed to Yazu first. "This is Yazu, Grimmjow's kit." He pointed to Hisashi next. "And this is Starrk's pup, Hisashi. And then this little girl is Makiko, Ulquiorra's daughter," he said, adjusting Makiko on his lap.

"Who dis?" Yazu said, narrowing her blue eyes at Isshin.

"This is my father," he explained. He watched her with interest. She was very inquisitive, but also excitable. "Your grandfather."

"You Da?" Yazu tilted her head to the side, triangular ears flattening a little on her head. She walked over to him and eyed him. "Hi!" she exclaimed.

Isshin smiled gently at her. "Hi there."

"You play with me?" she asked, clutching the ragdoll to her chest.

"No, I came to talk to…to…" he glanced over at Ichigo. He had no idea what to call him.

"Talk with Dam?" she said and Isshin nodded. "Otay. I play." She turned and ran back over to a train set she'd been sitting at.

Hisashi watched her got, but then looked over at Isshin. He tipped his little orange head to the side and stared at Isshin. He didn't say anything but turned and ran back over where Yazu was playing. Makiko turned around and grabbed onto Ichigo's neck and whimpered.

"Ah, go play with the others," he said as he set her to the floor. She toddled over to where Yazu and Hisashi were busy playing with the chunky train set.

"They're cute," Isshin watched as they played. "I didn't think I'd have so many, so quickly."

Ichigo nodded. "The hogyuku makes it happen quickly. It would take longer otherwise. It grants my wish. They grow fast, too, so they will all be talking soon."

"How have you been?" Isshin asked, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Ichigo spread his hands on his belly, smiling. "Tamashini will arrive soon, I feel."

"Kisuke was thinking that he might be able to make them Gigai to come visit your sisters," Isshin pointed out.

Ichigo nodded. "That would be nice. I don't think I can go, though, since I'm dead to that world."

Isshin nodded, not sure how to respond to that.

He smiled at him. "I don't hate you for what you did," he said as he sat back in the chair. "I understand."

"I can never make up or what I've done," Isshin began with tears in his eyes. "But I would like to still be your father."

Ichigo smiled softly at him. "You will always be my father." He tilted his head to the side as though listening carefully to something. "What is my mother's legacy?"

"Your mother's legacy?" Isshin repeated. "Where did you hear that?"

"Zangetsu told me the babies would inherit my mother's legacy too," he explained, looking at Isshin full on. "What does that mean?"

Isshin swallowed and sighed. "I meant to tell you this, but I never got the chance. It connects with me being from Soul Society. Your mother was human, a Quincy." Ichigo looked a little surprised at the revelation but didn't say anything. "I saved her from Aizen's creation, the hollow without a hollow hole that you were born with."

"So Sōsuke has been in my life since before I was born. In a way, he created me more than anyone else," Ichigo looked a little far away as he spoke. He then looked up, blinking rapidly. "Oh, I think Tamashini decided that she's waited long enough."

Urahara grinned. "I get to be here for one of them!" he said excitedly as he got up. "I'll tell Sōsuke."

Ichigo leaned over, holding his stomach as the spiritual energy did the work to prepare for the birth. Isshin looked worried, but Ichigo was calm. Starrk was watching the babies still, and before long, Aizen came in with Urahara and Nnoitra.

"To Szayel's," he said as he helped Ichigo to stand.

"Is there anything I can do?" Isshin asked as he stood up.

"No, we just have to get him to the lab, just in case anything does go wrong with the birth," Aizen told him as they walked. "It is very similar to human births except everything is created by his spiritual energy."

They got him to Szayel's lab where they had a special bed made just for the occasion. "This one is early," Szayel commented as they brought him in and got him sat down on the bed. Nnoitra was strangely quiet during the whole affair, especially when Ichigo was having more difficulty than usual.

"Arms," Ichigo mumbled, as they waited for him to progress enough for Nnoitra to try and guide the baby with his own reiatsu. "She's got four arms," he moaned, feeling every inch of the double set of shoulders she had.

"That certainly explains things," Szayel commented, looking over his instruments. "She's fine, but she'll just take a little longer to get here."

It took a while, and Isshin eventually left the room to get some air. A few seconds after he left, Urahara emerged to see if he was alright.

"I never thought of all my children, my _son_ would be going through this. Yuzu has children, but she's supposed to give birth." Isshin sighed.

Urahara patted his shoulder. "Ichigo was never a normal human boy, so it is no surprise that he would go through something different."

Before much longer, an exhausted Ichigo was holding a sleeping Tamashini. Nnoitra was standing in almost awe at the fact he had a daughter. He certainly viewed her as perfect. Ichigo handed her off to Nnoitra as he lost the battle against his exhaustion.


	15. When Chaos is Contained

It was Orihime who first suggested it. She wanted to do something special, as Ichigo's birthday was coming up quickly. It came up while she was having lunch with Uryū and Chad.

"Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, what do you think of having a special celebration planned for Ichigo's birthday for him and the babies?" she asked, sipping at her water thoughtfully. "Something big with everyone that can come there."

Uryū glanced at Chad and back at her. "A party?"

"A celebration," she explained. "I've been so busy with nursing school, I haven't been back to visit for a couple months. This would be a good chance to go and see how all the babies are doing. I imagine Yazu has gotten pretty big by now."

Chad nodded. "I think it would be nice. We can take him presents for him and the children. There are four now. Three girls and a boy."

Uryū glanced at Chad with an arched brow. "You keep that close of tabs on things?"

Chad just looked at him in return. Orihime smiled. "I'll talk to Urahara-san and Kurosaki-san and see about getting people from Soul Society to come around too."

So, that was how it began. Next, Urahara picked up the information from Orihime, and they began to put together care packages and fill them with things from the World of the Living that might be useful to Ichigo or the babies. There was a bunch of various items that they had no idea if Ichigo would find any use for. They just figured that what he didn't use, he could give to the Arrancar to use as they pleased.

Urahara got hold of Rukia, and managed to set things up so she, Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika were going to come visit. Kira and Hisagi would come up from their visit in Agatha with Imelda, Dima, and their twins, as well as Niobe and her parents. Everyone wanted to surprise Ichigo with the event, so they contacted Aizen to set things up. He was surprisingly helpful to them when they told him what they wanted to do for Ichigo.

In Soul Society, Renji and Rukia put together a few things they thought would be useful for him or the babies. They had already taken gifts for him for the babies, so they focused on things for him personally. Shunsui decided that he would come along, and tried to convince Jūshirō to go, but he would not go. Shunsui felt like Jūshirō still carried the guilt of what happened to Ichigo heavy on his heart, and he wished that he would just go see him. Kurotsuchi asked Shunsui to take a recording device so he would be able to see what the young Arrancar looked like and how they were developing.

When the day came for the even to occur, Orihime met with Rukia at Urahara's place. They were going early to set things up. Orihime had a bag of decorations and another bag with a present she'd picked specifically for Ichigo.

Orihime and Rukia arrived at Las Noches and were met at the gates by Nel and Grimmjow.

"This better be a good thing," Grimmjow grumbled as he walked them toward a room adjacent to a kitchen.

"Grimmjow-kun, it will be! He will get to see people he hasn't seen in a while, and people will get to see the children. Plus, this is the first time we've celebrated his birthday in a long time," Orihime told him as they set the bags down on the table. "Now, Nel, do you want to help decorate? I'll start on the cakes!"

"Cakes?" Grimmjow muttered as he watched her go over to the kitchen and start taking boxes out of the bag she took with her.

"She's been planning this for weeks now," Rukia explained. "She really wants it to be special for Ichigo. Especially for him since the babies get all the attention."

Grimmjow sighed and nodded, finding a chair and sitting down. He was to baby-sit their visitors while Starrk and Ulquiorra watched the babies. He watched as the room was slowly transformed to a colorful, brightly decorated place. He was impressed the decorations made such a difference in the white room.

Orihime came out of the kitchen with a sheet cake she had made, setting it down on one of the newly covered tables. It was decorated with white frosting and strawberries. Grimmjow arched a brow because it did look well made.

"Now, this will be for the presents for Ichigo. I think everyone said they'd bring him something, even if it is just something small. I'll put any gifts for the babies on this table here," she said and indicated the small table next to them. "Tell me, is he having a good or a bad day today?" she asked, setting down her brightly colored bag at the end of the table.

"Not sure yet," Grimmjow shrugged. "He hasn't been out of the room with Aizen this morning."

Ichigo hadn't left the room yet. In fact, at that moment he was still curled up in bed with Aizen, not letting him leave and not wanting to get up. So far, all encouragement to get out of bed had been met with resistance and Aizen wasn't sure how he was going to get him out of the room to go to the celebration they had planned.

"Don't you want to go see the babies? I know they're already up," Aizen asked, running a hand through his long, loose hair.

"No," he growled.

"Why don't you want to get up today?" Aizen asked, growing exasperated with him already.

"Don't wanna," he mumbled, ducking his head into Aizen's chest and hiding his face.

Aizen sighed. "At least let me put your hair up, it's a mess right now."

Ichigo huffed a breath out against his chest but let go of him. Aizen got up and grabbed the brush and the band of fabric they used to run through his braid. He sat down, finally getting Ichigo to sit up and began to brush it out first. This part, Aizen knew Ichigo enjoyed. He practically purred from the attention every time he did it.

He put it up on his head, tying it off and dropping the fabric down his back. He then began to braid it out, slowly making it to the end, where he wrapped the end of the fabric back around the bottom of the braid to tie it off. He reached over to a drawer in a table that he now kept by the bed and took out an elastic hair tie that Nel had brought him from the world of the living. He put it on over the band of fabric, securing his braid tight.

"Now, are you going to remain grumpy all day?" Aizen asked, sighing again.

"No," he shook his head and then turned around to look at Aizen. "I just was sad today."

"Why are you sad?" Aizen asked, surprised by the answer.

Ichigo sighed. "Just because I'm never going to be all the way better, and someone will always have to watch me, just in case, no matter how clear headed I am."

Aizen ran a hand over his head slowly. "Don't feel that way. You're doing your best and look how far you've come from the days of chewing your own fingers off and randomly eviscerating alpha Arrancar you didn't like. Things are much better now. The voices are quieter, and you said yourself you don't have as many nightmares as before."

Ichigo pointed to his head. "But some part of me is always going to be insane, no matter what I do. I'll still have days when I can't communicate at all. I'll still have times that I can't do the things I want to do and that kills me."

Aizen arched a brow. Today was a surprisingly lucid day because lately Ichigo hadn't been talking much at all. This could be a good or bad thing depending on how things went in this particular conversation.

"Ichigo, don't feel like that. We're all here for you, and know what to do to help you. You have others to count on now. You don't have to do these things lone anymore." Aizen wasn't sure where this line of thinking had come from but he wasn't sure he liked it.

He was quiet for a minute before he got up and walked to the mirror. He touched his reflection. "I don't know the me that looks back from the mirror all the time."

Aizen got up, picking up Ichigo's yukata as he went. He placed it over his shoulders and stared into the mirror with him. "I only see you. The only one there is right now."

Ichigo touched the circle in his chest. "I'm an Arrancar without a hollow hole. The babies are all born without hollow holes. What does that make us?"

"Special," Aizen said and turned Ichigo around to face him. "You are the product of some of the finest work in my life. Between the hogyuku and white, you have become everything to me. I think that the hogyuku responded best to you because of your purity of heart despite what you went through. There was no malice even though there could have been."

Ichigo nodded, pulling the yukata closed in front of him. "I'll leave the room today," he whispered, walking toward the bath.

Aizen sighed and sat down on the bed while he got himself ready. Perhaps it was because last night was the first night Tamashini slept with Nnoitra in his room that brought this sudden bout of melancholy. He wasn't sure how he would react to the planned celebration of his birth today. He only hoped that he was able to handle the whole situation, especially with everyone that was set to come to see him.

A few minutes later, Ichigo emerged from the bath, looking like he was ready for a regular day with the babies and the others. Aizen took him by the hand and led him through the corridors until they came to the play room where the babies were currently at. Starrk and Ulquiorra looked up as they came in. Ichigo smiled as Yazu came running first.

"Dam!" she practically yelled. "We were dancing!"

"Were you now?" Ichigo asked, smiling at her as Hisashi wrapped his arms around Ichigo's thigh and hugged him tightly. Makiko also came over, though less steady than her elder siblings. "Dam!" she announced and put her arms up.

Ichigo knelt and picked her up easily. He kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her against him. "Have you all been playing nice with Tamashini?"

He glanced over to see the little four-armed child playing with blocks. She was stacking them and then knocking them over. She used both sets of hands equally, not seeming to favor one over the other. They were pretty sure when she gained her resurrección she would have two arms in her unreleased form. Of course, they were guessing at this point about what would happen as they grew older. They were just assuming they were born released for whatever reason.

"She has four arms." Yazu certainly didn't split hairs on things.

"Yes, yes she does. You be nice to her though, she's the littlest of you for now," Ichigo reminded her as he walked over where Tamashini was playing and sat Makiko back down beside her. Makiko did not look pleased at the idea she'd just been sat down. Yazu grabbed Hisashi and tried to pull him off where he was still attached to Ichigo's leg.

"Hisashi! Leggo!" she exclaimed.

Hisashi started to whine loudly at his sister yanking on his arm. "Now, now, stop that, Yazu!" Ichigo said, kneeling down and putting his arm around the back of Hisashi who looked close to tears. "You know he likes to hold onto me."

"He's a baby," Yazu snorted and went back to her ragdoll where she'd left it on the floor. Hisashi looked up at Ichigo.

"Baby? Not baby!" he said emphatically.

"Oh, of course not. You're not a baby anymore, you're a big boy, aren't you?" Ichigo told him as she scratched behind his wolfish ears.

Ichigo stood and walked back over to the table where Ulquiorra and Starrk were sitting watching. Starrk smiled.

"Hisashi is very attached to you," Starrk said as he leaned back against the wall in the chair.

"Yeah," Ichigo said, smiling gently as he watched the four of them play with the toys. Aizen had left already while he was occupied with the children. He frowned because he usually said something before he left.

After a while, Aizen returned with Nnoitra and Grimmjow. He came over where Ichigo was sitting and leaned down. "There's a surprise for you."

Ichigo looked up at him, confused. "A surprise?"

"Yes, come on, and the babies too." He said, pulling Ichigo to stand.

Each alpha picked up their child and followed as Aizen led Ichigo through the halls to the hall near the main kitchen. When they got close, he saw that Orihime and Rukia were standing outside the door. He blinked, looking at Aizen and back at them. Was that the surprise? That wasn't that surprising.

"Ichigo, we have a special something for you today," Orihime said with a soft smile. She opened the door and stepped inside, gesturing him to come on and follow her.

He followed and realized the room had been decorated in streamers, balloons, and so many colors. He gasped at the amazing sight. He then looked down to see a lot of people he knew standing there quietly, waiting for him.

"What is this?" he asked.

"For your birthday, since we haven't celebrated it in so long. Just for you." Rukia took him by the hand and led him further in. Liron and Lior came running out of the crowd toward Yazu and the other children, already squealing in joy. Ichigo watched them and then saw Imelda and Dima. He saw his father was there, too, in the back. He was amazed that so many people had come. He was taken to sit down at a table in front of a large white frosted cake that was decorated with real strawberries.

"I don't know what to say," he whispered as he looked across and saw all sorts of bags sitting on the table in front of him.

"We didn't think you'd appreciate a loud surprise, so we decided on the quiet one," Orihime told him as she sat down beside him. "Everyone brought you presents, too. Things from the World of the Living and special presents for the babies." She pointed to a second table that was set with another bunch of bags.

"Th-thank you, thank you all, this is nice," he said, battling tears that were threatening him. Orihime patted his back and then began to hand him bags and packages to open.

He found they had all gotten him useful things, and things that he liked in the World of the Living. Uryū had brought him a set of medical textbooks. Chad had gotten him a bunch of current events magazines and different things to read. Orihime was the next, and he found a large pad of good quality drawing paper and a set of brightly colored pencils. He smiled at that, eyes gravitating to the three shades of red already. He shook his head and moved on. Next, he found that Imelda and Dima had brought him a handmade quilt. He thanked them profusely. Yumichika and Ikkaku had gotten him presents of a tea set and a sake drink set. He found that he had a couple more presents from the Agarthans of random baby and child care items thrown in bags. Finally, there was the last item. Isshin came forward to the table then.

"Son, I thought long and hard of what to do for this and I decided on the simplest and most meaningful gift I could think of," he said, placing the box in front of him.

Ichigo looked at him, then the box. He carefully lifted the top off it and blinked at what he saw inside. He reached both hands into it and pulled out a thick photo album. He flipped it open to see there were copies of photos from when they were kids, photos of his mother, and later, ones of Yuzu and Karin with their families they had now.

"I can't give you back the years that were stolen from you," Isshin whispered. "I can't do anything about the time that has past us by. But I can at least give you this to show you what's happened during that time."

Ichigo didn't know what to say, so he put the album carefully back into the box and then stood up to hug Isshin against him. Isshin hugged him back, tears in his eyes as he held him. It was the first time they'd touched since the day Ichigo had been taken from the World of the Living. Neither of them said anything, but then there was nothing to be said.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

To say that Jatya had been avoiding Ichigo was an understatement. He'd actively been trying to stay closed up in his rooms but had mostly stopped drinking himself into regular oblivion. He'd started dancing instead. So, when a couple weeks after the birthday party that he had made sure to miss, Ichigo come to his rooms to find him dancing. He smiled, not noticed yet. Estrella excused herself, telling Ichigo good luck on her way out. Ichigo walked over and joined him, surprising him, but he continued to dance until they were both out of breath. He fell into the sofa panting.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"You are one of my mates," Ichigo said simply, walking over to him and dropping onto his lap, surprising him.

"Um, yes, but I didn't think…" he started.

Ichigo pressed fingers to his lips to quiet him. "You did not think I would come to you again."

Jatya shook his head, not knowing what to think as this was totally unexpected. "No."

"I had to come to you again. You are one of my mates, and you must be healed," he said softly, leaning in, carefully avoiding his tusks and kissing his lips gently.

"Healed?" he asked, swallowing hard again. "What does that mean?"

Ichigo smiled at him. "The chaos will consume you if you allow it to do so. You hid inside bottles of liquid instead of facing the things that kept you awake at night. Now, you may dance, but you still do not face things. No, you shall not be consumed," he said, kissing him again on the lips softly.

Jatya had no idea what he was talking about, but he smelled that same scent that had driven him mad before and he knew he was powerless in this moment. He rubbed rheumy eyes and put his hands on Ichigo's waist. Ichigo moved and straddled his lap, scooting forward until their bodies were touching. Jatya was going to go mad from the scent he was exuding.

"I thought this wouldn't happen," he whispered.

"Why? Because of what happened before? Because of the experiments?" Ichigo asked, nuzzling into his neck and biting him lightly. "You must go through it, not around it. I found that out the hard way."

"I don't understand," he muttered, throwing his head back and then feeling the instincts take over all at once.

He slid his hand up Ichigo's leg, finding him hard against him already. He couldn't help his own wave of arousal at the thought of him writhing on his lap as he sat there. He leaned forward, nipping at any exposed flesh he could touch, careful not to nick him with the tusks. He felt Ichigo's hands at his belt, so he leaned back and loosened it until he felt Ichigo sliding hands up and down his dripping length. He let out a shuddering breath and squeezed Ichigo's ass with both hands as he shifted him upward. He didn't wait long, just moved his hips and slid into him with one thrust.

Ichigo gasped out, tensing at first from the abrupt entry. He sat up straighter and rolled his hips down against Jatya, causing them both to groan out in pleasure. Ichigo planted both hands on Jatya's shoulders and began moving back and forth on him slowly at first. Jatya squeezed his hands tightly where he held his ass in a viselike grip. Ichigo gasped as he began to rock faster on him. Jatya leaned forward, licking at his neck where he'd bitten him before.

Between the dancing and this, both grew breathless quickly, and Ichigo leaned in capturing his mouth in a deep kiss as he writhed on his lap. Jatya hadn't expected to even be doing this again, so when it happened like this, he was driven by the pure instinct to complete the claiming right. Ichigo moaned out as he grabbed him around the waist and flipped him over on his back on the sofa, pinning him down with both hands and continuing to thrust up into him quickly. He wasn't going to last much longer, so he reached a hand between them and began to stroke Ichigo in time with his own motions.

Ichigo arched under him, obviously feeling deeply as he cried out again. Jatya angled to hit whatever he had hit before and made him moan again. He leaned down, kissing his neck again, biting at him again. He felt Ichigo crest suddenly, spilling between them. He gasped out as he sped himself to his own release, the burst of reiatsu powerful as it crashed into Ichigo's body with an almost palatable feeling. He held tightly to Ichigo as they panted against each other.

He sat up, using his shirt to wipe up between them and seeing the Ichigo's yukata was soiled now. He untied the obi on it and slipped it off his shoulders. "Come, and rest with me," he said as he stood up, now shirtless and put his hand out for Ichigo to take.

Ichigo took his hand and walked with him to the bed, where they both fell into it together. There was only a few minutes before both of them had faded into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo opened his eyes in his inner world and realized that the bubble almost broke the surface of the water now. He stared at it curiously until Shiro leaned over him and he smiled.

"You know, once all these brats are born, yer gonna have yer hands full all the time. At least this one doesn't have four arms or something like that," he said and stood up. Ichigo sat up where he was laying on the floor.

"They have plenty of people to help take care of them out there. So far, all of them have been rather doting fathers. I was surprised at Grimmjow and Nnoitra to be able to calm down to take care of theirs and even the others." Ichigo smiled to himself. "It is rather cute to see how they take on their responsibility."

Shiro snorted and flopped down beside Ichigo. "Cute, eh?"

Ichigo nodded. "Sōsuke is being very patient, too."

"He will be. He waited ten years to get you here, he can wait a couple for the other babies to get born and for you to be ready for the surprise we have planned," Shiro pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. "Sōsuke will be so surprised."

Ichigo smiled just thinking about the surprise they had planned. It had taken a long time to come close to fruition, but with almost all the alphas siring their progeny, it was closer than ever. Now that Jatya's baby was on the way, only Szayel and their mutual madness remained. He was sure that it would pop the bubble once he was done with Szayel. He would be as good as he would ever get. Still a touch insane, but at least he was able to keep his head on things more often than not lately.

"Why does the water clear up with each baby?" Ichigo asked, staring out into the now nearly clear water.

Zangetsu spoke up behind him. "Your madness is more controlled. It was infecting all of the inner world as a reflection of your state of mind."

"But I'm still insane." Ichigo sighed and ran a hand over his head.

"I'm afraid there's nothing to be done about that. You are significantly less likely to fly into rages. And the voices and images have lessened." Zangetsu reminded him.

"I know," he said. "It's just it would be nice not to have to worry about those things. They can't let me be alone with any of the babies."

Shiro put an arm around him and squeezed. "Before long, they'll be old enough that they can keep an eye on you."

Ichigo blinked rapidly and then looked at Shiro. "That's true. They'll have to take care of me. I'll never be right. I never thought about that before, what will that mean for them?"

"Ichigo don't worry about it. There's plenty time to figure those things out. They're _your_ children. They will want to help you." Shiro patted him on the back solemnly.

"But now, when I get into that weird headspace and draw and color for hours, they think it's a good time to do the same. They don't think anything of it. But when they get bigger, I won't grow out of it like they will…" Ichigo ran both hands over the hair at his temples and held his head.

Shiro looked over at Zangetsu and then back to him. "Look, they'll love you for being their Dam. Just let it be."

"Dam?" came a little voice from near Ichigo's elbow.

He turned to and saw a little boy with orange and black striped hair, like a tiger's pelt. His large eyes were vivid blue in color, almost glowing against his darker skintone. Like his father, he had a crown like bone fragment that arched over the top of his head and a small set of tusks near his mouth. He was bigger than the others by a small bit in sheer size, and he had a powerful presence about him.

"Aw, and who are you?" Ichigo asked, smiling at him.

"Ryoto," he said as he stepped forward and up close to Ichigo. "You're my Dam." His voice was rich and very clear.

"Yes, yes I am," Ichigo told him, smiling broadly. This was the longest any of them had ever interacted with him inside the inner world. Normally Shiro spent more time with them.

Ryoto nodded his head, hair falling just over his left eye. "I will be there soon. I will take care of you. I promise that, Dam." He turned and walked back out of the bubble into the water, leaving both Shiro and Ichigo speechless.

"Well, he's going to be interesting, now isn't he?" Shiro muttered.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Jatya began to come out of his rooms after that. He started dancing with Ichigo, teaching him what to do as his belly began to grow. He stopped drinking altogether, as well, something Estrella couldn't believe. He began to spend more time with the others, and Aizen got used to seeing him walk around regularly. He would often catch him watching the other babies playing, as though he were thinking about his own child.

Ichigo was playing with them one afternoon about four months later, growing close to the end of this pregnancy rapidly by Szayel's estimation. After Ichigo described the baby to him, he wondered how much difficulty the tusks were going to cause in the delivery. He supposed it couldn't be worse than Tamashini's double set of shoulders.

Jatya was sitting at the table in the play room while Ichigo sat on the floor somewhat awkwardly and drew with his colored pencils in the pad of drawing paper that Orihime had brought him. Since then, he'd started drawing with other colors more than red, but he still favored drawings with lots of red in them. They were the most used pencils in his box, of course. Yazu picked up her ragdoll and walked over to where Jatya was sitting.

"Tusky," she said and looked at him.

"Um, yes?" he said. "What do you need?"

"Dance?" she asked. Yazu had seen Jatya dancing before with Ichigo.

Jatya looked over where Grimmjow was leaning against the wall in a chair. Grimmjow shrugged. "That's all you, man."

"Alright, let's move your toys so we have room," he said and moved out where the others were sitting around Ichigo. Ichigo looked up as he came over.

"Yazu requests that we dance. You could use some movement yourself. You've been sitting there for hours already without moving," Jatya said, reaching or Ichigo's hand.

Ichigo reached up, letting himself be pulled up to stand. He wobbled a bit, a little off balance with his extra weight. Yazu was busy moving toys out of the way and clearing out their space. Hisashi got up and grabbed Ichigo's leg. Makiko just stood there and watched them with an impassive look on her face. Tamashini went with the toys to the side of the room.

"Here," Jatya said, reaching for Ichigo's hand as he started to move. Ichigo laughed as he tried to move with his belly and Hisashi clamped to his leg. Yazu danced around in some sort of crazy pantomime of what Ichigo and Jatya were doing. Grimmjow watched with an amused grin on his face as they moved about the room. Yazu eventually had enough of her father not participating and went over and pulled him to his feet. He rolled his eyes but went along with the little girl and started dancing along with them, if a bit stiffly. After a while, Makiko was trying to dance but still had a blank expression on her face. Tamashini was whirling around too throwing all four arms up and waving her little hands in excitement.

Ichigo was mostly hobbled in his attempts as Hisashi tried to cling to him while he moved. Jatya held Yazu's hands for a minute as they danced, and she laughed out loud. They danced until the children were all getting breathless and Ichigo was barely moving, more just standing there swaying with Hisashi clinging to him. He took a sharp breath, hands going to his belly.

"Jatya!" he said with wide eyes.

Jatya didn't hear him at first and kept dancing with Yazu but Grimmjow went over to see what was wrong. "Jatya, yo!" Grimmjow said as he tried to peel Hisashi off Ichigo's leg. "I think you need to get to Szayel's."

Jatya stopped suddenly came over. "Okay, what do I do?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Well, first, I've gotta get Hisashi to let go," Grimmjow grumbled. He finally knelt down and looked at the little boy. "Come on, man. Work with me here. Your Dam is gonna go have your brother, okay? He'll be back soon."

Hisashi let go but started to cry immediately. Grimmjow sighed, taking him by the hand over to where the others were sitting down with the toys. He got them all four occupied as Jatya managed to get Ichigo to head out of the play room toward Szayel's lab.

"How does this work?" Jatya asked as they walked down the corridor.

"You have to help guide him with your reiatsu," Ichigo said as he stopped and held his stomach for a minute. "Right now, the energy is creating a birth canal and it doesn't feel too good…" he muttered.

"Let's hurry," Jatya told him as they came into the lab.

"Is it time?" Szayel said as soon as they came into the room.

"Yeah," Jatya said. "Yeah."

Szayel patted Jatya on the back as he took him into the birthing room. He got Ichigo situated and instructed Jatya to sit beside him, waiting until Ichigo felt like it was time for the baby to be born. He was nervous and anticipating the birth. Finally, Ichigo grabbed him by the arm and told him it was time. He put both hands on Ichigo's stomach and felt the baby inside him with his spiritual energy. He focused on guiding him through the birth canal and out of Ichigo's body.

Ichigo could tell there were tusks involved in this one, and it took a little while before Jatya was holding a very small creature that looked a lot like him. His skin was almost the same color as Jatya's and his eyes were bright blue and practically glowing. Ichigo was exhausted, but he saw him with a smile on his face.

"He's got your tusks," Ichigo said, sighing as Jatya handed him over. He held him up close to his face. "Hello there, Ryoto. Nice to meet you again," he smiled and kissed him on the little bone fragment on his head.

"He's perfect." Jatya didn't know what else to say. He hadn't expected him to look so much like him, but so much smaller. He had a handsome little face and he was looking around very alert. Ichigo smiled, handing him back to Jatya.

"I think I'll take a nap now," he said as he immediately passed out. Jatya looked at him, not sure if that was right.

"Szayel!" he called out.

Szayel was nearby and came back into the room. "What? Is something wrong?"

"He just passed out," Jatya said, worried.

Szayel turned his instruments on him and mumbled, "Damn."

"What is it?" Jatya insisted, clutching Ryoto to his chest.

"Just extra bleeding internally. Probably due to the tusks. The birth canal is not quite gone yet, and there's a little bleeding. But I think a shot of this," he commented as he injected something into his arm. "This should staunch it. He's got amazing resiliency to bleeding, so I'm not too worried."

He said that, but to Jatya he still looked worried. They waited for a few minutes and Szayel looked over his instruments again and nodded. "Yeah, there we are. It's staunched. He should be fine now."

Jatya didn't realize how worried he would be until there was the prospect of something going wrong. Had he truly come to feel so attached to Ichigo in their time together? He kissed the wriggling boy in his arms. Had he come through it finally? He looked at Ichigo and instead of feeling shame and pain, he felt lighter and he felt happiness in his heart.

He'd gone through the pain. There was no going around it. He had to go through it, and now, he had done it.


	16. When Madness is Controlled

Shunsui knew that Jūshirō still suffering over the events that had transpired in his name. He also knew that the only way he would ever be able to get through the pain and guilt that had built up was to face Ichigo in person. Getting him to do that, however, was something that was harder to do than he expected. It seemed his own ten years of imprisonment had taken its toll on him as well. He knew that his dearest companion had to deal with these issues. He made his way to the koi pond where Jūshirō often sat these days.

Once more, he saw him sitting beside the place where he had "died" so many years ago. He sighed and walked over to him, seating himself beside him.

"I knew I would find you here again today," Shunsui said quietly. "You have been melancholy the last few days when I have seen you."

Jūshirō looked at him and gave a sad smile. "There was a report from Hueco Mundo on progress with the Agarthan Treaty. It is also the third anniversary of my return. So much has happened in those three years."

Shunsui stared into the pond and watched the koi swam within the water. "Things have changed, but many things have stayed the same. Kurotsuchi-taichou is still confined to his lab, isn't he?" Shunsui asked.

"Yes, the Sou-Taichou has yet to release him." Jūshirō stared out into the distance and didn't turn toward Shunsui.

"You know that you are not at fault for what has occurred in any way, Jūshirō my love," Shunsui sighed, having had this discussion many times over the last three years.

Jūshirō turned toward him finally. "How can I not be at fault for any of this? It was my abduction that caused all of this to occur."

"We are all to blame, all of us that sentenced Ichigo to the hell we put him through. We are the ones that were fooled," Shunsui reminded him once again. "You had no part of it."

"How can I truly believe that? After what he has become?"

"And what is it you believe that he has become?" Shunsui put his arm around Jūshirō's shoulders.

Jūshirō was quiet for a time. "I don't know what he has become or what he is anymore, but he is neither human nor Shinigami."

"He is now just Ichigo." Shunsui hadn't gone through this particular line of thinking with him before. "He is happy."

"He is insane and being used like a brood mare for Arrancar." Jūshirō still had not gotten past that fact no matter how hard Shunsui pushed him.

"But he is happy."

Jūshirō shook his head. "He is not in his right mind. If he is happy or not, it does not change the facts of what has occurred. To allow him live like that…"

"You would rather we killed him when we had the chance? You would agree to kill a living being just because you do not place value on his existence?" Shunsui wondered out loud for the first time.

Jūshirō looked at him sharply. "I value his existence."

"No, my old friend, you do not. You only believe his life is worth living by your own set of parameters. He is alive, and despite what you believe, he is happy," Shunsui knew that no matter how many times he said it, Jūshirō still would still have these thoughts in his mind.

"What has been done can never be undone. You know this. The fault for what has occurred belongs to us all," Jūshirō reached a hand into the water and wiggled his fingers and the koi nibbled on them.

"Twelve years ago, we made a decision, all of us did, to punish who we were absolutely certain was guilty of your murder. That decision took and warped an innocent into something nearly unrecognizable. Our crime is unforgivable, yet he himself forgives those that have hurt him the most. You have to let yourself be forgiven." Shunsui didn't know if this would get through to the other Shinigami or not, but he was going to try and bring his friend out of this state of mind. "I think you need to go see Ichigo."

"I cannot do that," came the expected answer.

"But you must. Come," Shunsui stood up and reached his hand out for Jūshirō. "Take my hand and come with me. You, my dear friend, will never heal yourself until you forgive yourself."

Jūshirō slowly reached his hand up toward Shunsui and nodded. "Alright. I will go. But I cannot guarantee it will chance my perspective."

"All I ask is you try," Shunsui told him as he pulled him to stand.

Before much longer, the pair stood in front of Las Noches. Jūshirō hadn't come to Hueco Mundo since Aizen had sent him back to Soul Society. Shunsui knew that this would be a telling experience for the white-haired captain. He looked up to see Nel coming to receive them.

"Kyōraku-taichou, wasn't it?" she said as they approached the gate. "I'm unfamiliar with you, however."

"This is Ukitake-taichou. He was the one that Ichigo was accused of killing," Shunsui explained as he gestured at the other Shinigami.

Nel nodded. "I'm sure Itsygo will be glad to have visitors. It has been a while since anyone has come to see him. Follow me. He's in the play room with the children," she motioned them after her.

They walked down the winding corridors of Las Noches, which Shunsui tried to keep track of. They came to a door and inside was a brightly colored room, each wall a different color. There was a table and chairs where Shunsui could see that Grimmjow and the pale Ulquiorra sat watching as the five children played at various points in the room. In the center of the room, Ichigo was laying on the floor drawing on a pad of paper while a smaller one of the children colored with crayons. Nel left them at the entrance and walked over to Ichigo.

She spoke to him for a moment and he glanced over toward Shunsui and Jūshirō before he got up and walked toward them. Shunsui was glad to see that he looked better than the last time he saw him, hair braided down his back and wearing a cream-colored yukata. He came over to them and smiled slightly.

Nel spoke up. "Come, sit down over here so you can talk more comfortably," she said and ushered Ichigo toward the table.

They all sat down, gaining a brief stare from Grimmjow and not even a glance from Ulquiorra. Ichigo watched them both carefully.

"I'm glad you've come," he said finally. "I'm having a good day today, as well."

"A good day?" Jūshirō inquired, tilting his head to the side and staring at him.

"Yeah, I have good days, and I have bad days. Today is a good day though. I've been playing with the kids," he told them with the same slight smile on his lips.

Jūshirō licked his lips thoughtfully and spoke again. "What is a bad day like?"

"Oh, that depends. Sometimes I don't talk. Sometimes I still see and hear things that aren't there. Rarely, I will be angry for no reason and end up sparring with Nnoitra or Grimmjow. There aren't as many bad days as there used to be, though." Ichigo jerked and looked down. He smiled again, picking up a small boy with tusks on his face and putting him in his lap. "This is Ryoto."

Shunsui eyed the small child and felt compelled to keep his hat away from this one lest it become a chew toy again. "He is very unique," Shunsui remarked. The child was darker skinned than Ichigo and had a strange hair color that looked like a tiger pattern.

"He's the youngest," Ichigo explained, hugging him against his chest.

Just then, a young girl came over to the table and glared across at them. Ichigo sighed and shook his head at her. "Yazu, don't be rude, say hello to our guests."

"Who you?" she asked, narrowing her blue cat-like eyes at them. Her orange colored hair was pinned back over her ears and fell about her shoulders while a pert set of cat ears graced her head.

"I am Shunsui, and this is Jūshirō," he told her with a grin.

"Dam, Hisashi's crying again because Makiko took the coloring book away from him," Yazu informed Ichigo.

Ichigo sighed and turned in the chair to look over where a little boy was sitting quietly crying and a little girl with pale skin colored in a book. "Makiko! Come here!" Ichigo called.

The little girl looked up, then stood up and came over to them. She looked younger than Yazu and was slightly shorter. She had orange hair that faded into black near the tips. Her eyes were a startling green color.

"Makiko, stop taking away Hisashi's coloring book. You know he likes to color while I draw," Ichigo told her.

"But Dam, you aren't drawing now and Hisashi cries all the time anyway," the little girl's face was expressionless as she spoke.

Ichigo sighed. "Just let him color. You know how he is, now."

Makiko looked like she was going to argue the point. Then she nodded once and walked back over to the toys, this time sitting down with some building blocks. The little boy had returned to coloring quite happily in the book. Over near the other little girl there was another girl sitting down playing with building blocks. Shunsui blinked because she had four arms.

Ichigo turned back toward them. "I'm sorry. Hisashi is such a sensitive little boy. Every little thing makes him cry. He also is clingy."

"That is fine," Shunsui nodded and glanced at Jūshirō. He wasn't saying anything which defeated the purpose of coming here entirely. "Um, Ichigo, so how have you been?"

"Good enough," Ichigo responded as the child on his lap started wiggling. He gently picked him up off his lap and set him to his feet again. He wobbled over where the other two girls were playing. Yazu had gone and sat down on the floor with a doll in her hands.

Jūshirō cleared his throat and finally spoke. "Are you happy here?"

Ichigo looked at him, tilting his head to the side and frowned. "Happy?"

"Yes, are you happy with your life now, even with your bad days as you said?" Jūshirō just stared back at Ichigo.

"I love the children, and I love my mates, and I love Sōsuke." Ichigo seemed to think that answered the question.

"But are you happy with all those things?" Jūshirō continued.

Ichigo stared at him for a minute before he spoke again. "I am happy with my life, yes."

Jūshirō nodded, satisfied Shunsui guessed, with that answer. "That is good."

"You don't look happy, though," Ichigo pointed out. "You should be happy."

"Why do you say that?" Jūshirō asked, looking a bit uncomfortable with the statement.

Ichigo scoffed. "I'm insane, not blind."

Shunsui couldn't help the chuckle that burst out of him at that statement. Ichigo looked at him curiously. Jūshirō just looked surprised. "You can't fool you, Ichigo, can you?" Shunsui said.

"I know you blame yourself for what happened; that's why it took you so long to come here and talk with me. You had nothing to do with what happened and you should not feel guilt for it. I may not be who walked into that tower so long ago, but I am who has become of him." Ichigo glanced over to the area where the children were all playing together now in the blocks. "They make me happy. I wouldn't have them without what has happened to me."

"But how can you say you love Sōsuke Aizen when it is he that orchestrated everything that happened?" Jūshirō finally blurted out. "How can you forgive any of those that turned against you? How can you live like this?"

Ichigo turned back to him and gave him a sad smile. "I had to go through it to move forward. And I still push through it some days. But I don't blame anyone for what happened. Blaming someone won't change it. It won't give me back the ten years that I lost. It won't fix my broken mind." Ichigo stopped for a second, staring into space before shaking his head and looking back to Jūshirō. "I have to go forward, not back. So should you."

Ichigo got the faraway look on his face again, then blinked. "You should go, I'm slipping."

He stood up and walked to the middle of the floor again and laid down to begin drawing frantically with the pencils he had. Shunsui realized that among the children's drawings that were stuck on the brightly colored walls, there were pencil drawings done by an adult hand. Most of them were of figures of some sort. Some were brightly colored, but then there were others done almost entirely in shades of red. Those had images that were somewhat frightening on them.

Grimmjow stood up after he'd left and spoke finally to them. "I'll show ya out."

Shunsui noticed that Jūshirō was quiet all the way back to Soul Society. Once there, he asked him what he wanted to know.

"Can you forgive yourself?"

Jūshirō looked at Shunsui and there were tears glistening in his eyes. He nodded slowly. "I must it seems. To make him happy."

Shunsui smiled, putting an arm around Jūshirō's back. "You must go through it. You must move forward, like he has."

"I still can't imagine what his ten years was like."

"You spent ten years imprisoned as well, my friend. Do not forget that." Shunsui knew that he often discounted his own time in confinement at Aizen's hands.

Jūshirō shook his head. "My time was simply solitude for me. I was able to handle such a thing for so short a time," he responded, like always.

Shunsui sighed, knowing that he would not get anywhere on this subject with his dear friend. "Come, let us go sit by the koi pond and we can talk more."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

It was the room again. He was stuck inside it once more and there was no way out. He beat on the clear panels, yelling so loud it hurt his ears. But there was no way he could be heard outside this small cell, not unless they allowed it. _They_ watched him through the clear barriers. _They_ were shapes in darkness and _they_ moved around freely.

"I just want out!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, sliding down to his knees. "I just want out…" he whispered.

He blinked, looking down, and realized that the cell was filling with liquid. He reached down and touched it, his hand coming away red. There was blood flooding the room. Couldn't they see it? They had to let him out! He was going to drown like this! He beat his hands against the now smeared walls. Outside, _they_ still watched him with bright eyes that glowed in the darkness.

"Help, please!" he cried, frantically slapping hands against the barrier between him and freedom. It was to his knees now and it wasn't stopping. It was going to fill up the cell and he'd drown in blood.

He saw Kurotsuchi's face, finally, at the center of his vision. He was like a glowing beacon in the depths of the dark that surrounded him. He knew he'd get no relief from him. If he was lucky, he wouldn't drown him just to bring him back again. He was smiling and saying something but Ichigo couldn't hear anything except the rushing of the blood filling the room. It was to his hips now. It really was going to drown him.

"Not this! Anything but this!" he called, starting to feel tears in his eyes out of sheer frustration at not being heard. "I'm gonna die!"

Then there was a second and sound came on. He could hear outside, and they could hear him now. He sobbed against the wall, fists balled and slamming into it again and again. "Please! Let me out!"

"You won't die." Kurotsuchi's voice was in his head more than it was outside, he realized. "Stop whining. You're resilient. The most resilient subject I've ever had."

"I'll drown!" he begged, the blood to his chest now and rising fast. "Please, stop this! Let me out!"

"Nonsense. You will be fine. And even if you aren't, I can just revive you. Now, just accept your fate and breathe normally."

Ichigo knew that he was going to drown, his body was starting to float in the liquid and he could feel it against him everywhere. It was slimy and slick against his skin as he planted his hands against the clear barrier. Kurotsuchi was just standing there, staring at him with a smile on his face. His feet lifted off the ground as he tried to keep his head above the liquid. He gasped as the blood began to try and slide down his throat and into his nose.

"P-please!" he sputtered.

But Kurotsuchi only laughed as he ran out of room to breathe the air. He could still hear him as he floated in the viscous substance. He could see, just barely, through the world washed in red. He could only hold his breath for so long, he knew. He had to breathe though. He had to breathe. He finally couldn't stand holding his breath anymore and took a great gulping breath that flooded his lungs painfully. He didn't pass out, though.

"See, I told you to just breathe normally. Resiliency."

Ichigo planted both hands against the barrier, still beating against it, only now the sounds were muffled under the blood he floated in, that he breathed in and out like air, the smell permeating his senses and the taste flooding his mouth. It was blood, and it was keeping him alive still. He couldn't escape it, but it wouldn't kill him either.

Kurotsuchi was laughing and he could see the other shadows, the rest of _them_ , moving out there. The others that had put him here, they were all watching him struggle. None of them would let him free and he knew it. No one would open this cage and let him out. He was nothing but a thing to be studied by them.

"I can't do this! Help me!" he managed to yell through the blood around him. How he could make noises that could be heard, he had no idea. But it was happening. Then he saw his father standing where Kurotsuchi had been. He was looking at him with hard eyes that said he was guilty. Guilty of doing something he would never do at all.

"I will burn the body and mourn my son by my wife. You are not my son. You are a monster to me anymore."

Then he was gone and Ichigo fell to his knees, hands flat against the wall. He was drowning forever, he realized, his chest hurting like he was trying to breathe liquid. He was drowning but not dying. He felt tears form and then they made little bubbles of clear within the red, and they floated to the top to burst there.

Then, suddenly, the blood around him was draining. He was soon on the floor, coughing and gasping for breath, still covered in dripping blood. He looked up and saw the head captain staring at him. He reached for him and he just turned away. He broke, sobbing into his arms as the darkness returned out there, leaving him alone in the small cell.

"Let me go," he cried, hearing the sound reverberate around him, meaning no one could hear him and he couldn't hear anyone else. He closed his eyes and willed himself to die, because it was all he could try to do.

He sat up, gasping for breath, eyes wet. He panted for a few minutes, holding a hand to his chest. He hadn't had a dream like that in a while. He certainly hadn't had one that vivid in a long time now. He saw, just at the edge of his vision, the butterflies, so many black butterflies, were there again. He looked to see Aizen still slept beside him. He had no idea what time of day or night it was. He could only assume it was still night time. He got up and grabbed his yukata off the chair beside the bed and put it on. He needed to shake the remains of that horrible dream. He found his paper and pencils and began to sketch what had been in the dream, in shades of red, of course. He couldn't see in anything else. He kept swiping at the damned butterflies that kept trying to land on him.

Some time passed, and he didn't hear when Aizen had approached him. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Ichigo looked up, eyes red from tears, and he shook his head before returning to the picture.

Aizen knelt beside him and looked at the picture he was drawing. It was himself floating in the cell full of red liquid. He frantically colored it in, trying to capture everything that had been in the dream. He couldn't do it right, though, and he kept trying. He felt Aizen put his arm around his shoulders and kept sketching. Finally, he was done and sat up again, eyes still red.

"Was it a bad one?" Aizen asked quietly.

"Yeah, the butterflies are back, too," he answered, turning his head and chasing the flight of one of the black butterflies as it landed on the other side of the room.

"Should we stay in here today?" Aizen's voice was still soft and comforting, though.

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I need to get out and see the children. They will help."

The damned butterflies, though, wouldn't leave him alone as they walked to the playroom. Grimmjow was already there with Yazu, who came running the second she saw Ichigo.

"Dam! I was playing with Makiko!" she said proudly.

Ichigo tried to focus on her, but the butterflies kept getting in front of her. He smiled and tried to ignore them. It wasn't like he didn't know they weren't really there. He knew that, but he still saw them anyway. He was looking at Yazu when the butterflies started to coalesce around her face, covering her completely. When they moved away, though, the face that looked at him wasn't Yazu but some twisted version of his daughter with blood leaking from her eyes. He screamed, bolting from the room before anyone could say or do anything to stop him.

He wasn't sure where he was when he stopped. Another white hallway, another white place. He looked around, the butterflies leading him down the corridor toward something. He hoped they led him toward something. He followed them and kept wondering where they were going. He heard someone behind him and turned to stare. There was no one there, that he could see. He swallowed and knew he was being followed.

He found himself in front of a familiar door, luckily. He saw the butterflies trying to lead him off the other way, but he wasn't going to follow them anymore. He opened the door and went inside, finding a small place to hide himself in until the butterflies left him alone.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Aizen had no idea what happened, because Ichigo just screamed and ran out of the room at top speed. He summoned the others, and everyone took off looking for him. Aizen stayed with the children while they looked for him. He had to be somewhere close by, because he hadn't been using his sonido. Thankfully, sometimes he seemed to forget that he had the fast movement.

Szayel checked several places before he thought to try and check his lab. He figured that Ichigo was so often in his lab that it might be a place he would go when something scared him. As soon as he opened the door, he heard ragged breathing and sighed. He knew he'd found him. He knew the others were still looking, but he needed to see how he was doing.

"Ichigo?" he called out. "Are you there?"

There was a movement and Szayel went over to find him curled into a ball on the floor next to the birthing bed. He knelt and put a hand against his face. He looked up, a bit shocked looking, and locked eyes with Szayel.

"There you are. You worried us by running off like that," he said, noting the redness around his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, looking down. "I just had to get away from everyone. The butterflies made her scary."

"Oh?" Szayel sighed, sitting down beside him. "The butterflies again?"

"I had a bad dream," Ichigo continued, leaning into Szayel's side. "It made things bad."

"Yeah," Szayel just put his arm around him and squeezed him tightly. "Bad dreams can do that."

They were quiet for a few moments before Ichigo turned to him again. This time, though, the look in his eyes was different. And Szayel could smell the scent coming off of him at that moment.

"Now?" Szayel whispered as Ichigo's arms reached around him. "Now," he said and leaned forward, catching Ichigo's lips in a quick kiss that he soon deepened.

Ichigo climbed up onto his lap, panting now, his body hot with the needs that were coursing through it. Szayel hadn't been with him in a while, to be honest, it had been since before Yazu was born since he'd spent time alone with him. He knew that this time would come, as it had to come to complete the claiming right he'd started so long ago, but he'd almost thought he'd been forgotten along the way.

"You are the most like me," Ichigo whispered as he leaned back. "The madness draws us both into it, and we have to be careful or it will swallow us up."

Szayel nodded, feeling himself growing in arousal to meet Ichigo. He was in need too. He reached up, pulling Ichigo down into a kiss again. It was gentle at first but then he felt his own instincts answering the need. He slipped his hands under the shoulders of Ichigo's yukata and slipped it off down his back. His hands wandered around to pinch and roll at his nipples, causing him to wriggle on Szayel's lap. He definitely wasn't going to wait much longer the way he was writhing against him. He slid his hands down to the obi and unknotted it deftly before letting the yukata fall the rest of the way off.

Ichigo let it fall down his arms, returning up to kiss at Szayel's mouth again. He bit down on his lip and nearly drew blood as he squeezed Szayel's body between his legs. Szayel, not too patient at this point, ran his hands under his ass, sliding two fingers into him at once. He arched back, panting with his mouth open.

"Hmm, there, huh?" Szayel muttered as his fingers worked into him, slowly opening him more.

Ichigo's eyes had long ago been blown and he leaned down to bite against Szayel's neck. Szayel didn't have much in the way of hierro, but whatever he did have was protecting him against his teeth.

"Bitey today, are we?" Szayel asked as he reached down to his own hakama, untying his obi and pulling himself free of the confining pants.

Ichigo rubbed up against him, sliding their arousals against each other for a moment before Szayel grabbed him by the waist and turned him around. Ichigo gasped out a little but hung onto Szayel's knees where they were propped up behind him. Szayel hummed to himself, pleased with the visual he was getting. He took him by the hips and guided him onto his length. Ichigo didn't need any encouragement to drop down on him at that point. Szayel groaned as he felt himself enveloped in the quivering heat of his body.

He'd turned him away simply to avoid any more biting. Not that he couldn't take it, but it was an annoyance. He slid his hands up Ichigo's sides as he rocked a little on him. Szayel was fascinated by the way the beta's body worked, and knew that he would sire this round with him. Once this was done, Ichigo would rest and raise the children until they were old enough to trigger his heat again.

Szayel was impatient though and decided to take over from here. He suddenly tipped him forward and held onto his hips as he thrust down into him. Ichigo let out some sort of hollow sounding noise and Szayel grinned as he continued working in him. He felt like this wouldn't take very long, because he needed the release and so did Ichigo. After a while, Szayel slammed up into him hard and felt his body clench and spasm around him. He held his breath and held on for the duration of Ichigo's orgasm, then continued to slam into him repeatedly until he found himself close. He felt the building reiatsu and went over the edge with a slight moan.

He fell of to the side of Ichigo, encasing him in his arms as they laid there panting on the floor.

"Tell me, what happened today?" Szayel whispered against the back of his neck.

"The butterflies wouldn't leave me alone," he mumbled, snuggling into Szayel's hold.

Szayel supposed that was all the answer he was going to get on the issue. He couldn't fall asleep with him, even if the feeling was there. He sat up, grabbing Ichigo's yukata. "Come, you need to go back so Aizen knows you're safe."

Ichigo yawned, already feeling the need to rest after the activity, but he got up and let Szayel help him back into his yukata, tying the obi and leading him back to the playroom where Aizen waited. He was holding Tamashini on his lap when Ichigo and Szayel came into the room.

"I thought I sensed the reiatsu release," Aizen said without getting up. "It appears it was time, once more."

Ichigo smiled and sat down in one of the seats, falling asleep sitting up it seemed. He put his head down on the table and faded off to his inner world.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

The water level was significantly lower now, and the bubble was out of the mildly murky waters. The water had cleared significantly, and the bubble was much larger around, even starting to encompass some of the buildings around it.

Ichigo awoke lying on his back staring at the clear sky above them. Shiro pounced on him and Ichigo laughed. It was obvious things were better in here now.

"You're not gonna believe this one," Shiro said with a smirk on his face.

Ichigo looked over to the side and gasped. There were two small figures standing there holding hands with each other. He sat up to get a better look at them. They both were the same size, and nearly identical. However, each of them had one brown eye and one gold eye, each the opposite way around from each other. They both had pink hair that came down to around their chin and had Ichigo's facial features.

"How are you?" Ichigo asked, standing up and approaching them.

"Dam?" the one on the left asked.

"Dam," the one on the right answered.

"I'm Gin." The one on the left looked at him with a half-smile.

"I'm Kin."

Ichigo blinked and stared at the two of them. They each had a white bone fragment around their eye on one side, almost like a monocle, surrounding their golden colored eye. They then both smiled and reached out to hug him. Ichigo returned the hug and then they both turned and walked back out into what was left of the water.

"Two?" Ichigo whispered, looking at Shiro as he stood up.

"So it would seem," Zangetsu said from his position behind Shiro.

"Szayel said I couldn't carry two," Ichigo recalled, looking at Shiro.

"Looks like he was wrong," Shiro nodded toward the water where the twins were both playing near a sideways building.

"Gin and Kin, silver and gold," Ichigo muttered. "Are they boys or girls, even?"

"I can't tell, can you, Zangetsu?" Shiro asked, glancing behind him at the stoic figure.

"A girl and a boy, but they will grow to be both," Zangetsu said enigmatically.

"Both?" Ichigo asked, not sure what exactly that meant. He was sure he would find out, though. Eventually.

Shiro put his arms around him again and hugged him to his chest. "You okay after today?"

"Yeah, just the damn butterflies were back today. They always leave me feeling odd. And they made Yazu look like a monster." Ichigo didn't like that part one bit.

"I know, but it was all in your mind. Just a remnant," Shiro reminded him.

"Just serves to show that I'll never completely leave my madness behind," he said sadly.

Shiro let him go and nodded. "But you've come a long way. You'll be a fine Dam to these two again."

"But what kind of Dam is half crazy half the time?" he wondered, walking to the edge of the bubble and poking at the barrier. It was spongey and gave a little when he touched it. Ripples formed where he pressed against it.

"Don't worry about it. It will make you the clearest you have been yet," Shiro assured him.

"I hope you're right," Ichigo mumbled as he let himself slip back to reality.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

The fact there were twins this time was quickly realized by everyone. Ichigo's scans showed two forms inside one reiatsu chamber. This caused a lot of discussion on whether or not Ichigo could carry two of them at one time. He, of course, had no doubt that he could, and would, do just that. Like with Hisashi, though, his energy flagged very easily from the beginning onward. He spent much of the time curled up in his bed asleep. Szayel kept having to assure everyone he was fine, it was just the strain of carrying twins.

Before long, it became apparent that he wouldn't carry these for very long. Everyone also figured they might be smaller than the others when they were born. Twins often didn't survive when birthed without aid. For this reason, they were very careful with what they let Ichigo do and what they kept him from doing. It seemed that he was relatively clear for the pregnancy part, only having a handful of incidents of nightmares or visits from his butterflies.

He was sitting in the playroom, looking quite uncomfortable by this point, when the time to have them finally arrived. Aizen had been sticking close to him this time, out of fear of another bolting incident while pregnant with the twins. He was also going to be there to help with the birth so Szayel could concentrate on his part to help them find their way. Ichigo realized very quickly that these two were in a hurry.

"Oh!" he exclaimed and stood up suddenly. Luckily, Grimmjow and Starrk were in the playroom as well with the other children. "Now!"

Aizen had rushed over to help him walk toward the lab where Szayel was already at. Once there, things seemed to progress normally, if exhausting Ichigo. When the first one was born, he was nearly giddy with relief, though he remembered there were two of them. He told Szayel he was done with this and didn't want to do it anymore. Aizen was holding a very small, squirming, pink-haired baby boy while they awaited the other one.

Szayel explained they couldn't just stop midway, and he had to go through having the second one. Ichigo was not pleased with this information and proceeded to tell Szayel loudly that he wasn't allowed to have anymore babies if he had two of them each time. Szayel was apologizing profusely, and Aizen thought it was quite amusing.

Eventually, the second one was born and Ichigo was glad it was over and passed out directly from sheer exhaustion. Szayel held the little girl of the two and marveled at how small she was compared to the other babies that had been born.

"Gin and Kin," Aizen said as he looked between them. "I wonder if he named them that on purpose."

"You don't believe he sees them in his inner world?" Szayel asked as he dressed Kin.

"I believe he sees them, but whether it is really the souls of the children he sees or not, that I do not know. It may just be his own mind making up the names along the way. It is hard to say," Aizen switched the naked boy for the now dressed girl. She was very wide awake and attentive, while her brother was rather sleepy.

"He's never been wrong, though," Szayel pointed out as he finished dressing Gin. Gin's mask fragment was over his left eye, and Kin's was over her right eye.

"True," Aizen said and glanced over at Ichigo where he still slept. He was glad that he could rest now and concentrate on raising the brood he'd acquired over the last three and a half years. He surely would need the rest.


	17. When the Rules are Broken

Chapter Seventeen

When the Rules are Broken

Yazu woke up nestled in her dad's chest. She sat up and yawned, crawling out of the bed and leaving him to go play until he woke up. She hoped to see Dam today, and really wished she could spend some time alone with him. She sat down and picked up the rag doll and clutched it to her chest. It was her one toy she loved dearly. She remembered the man with black hair and silver glasses had brought it to her. She hoped he came to visit Dam again. Dam liked it when people visited.

"You're up early," came her dad's voice behind her.

"Couldn't sleep no more," she informed him. "I want to go play with the others. Why can't we sleep with Dam anymore?"

Grimmjow knelt beside her and gave her a sad smile. "Dam needs his time alone. You know that, now, come on, get dressed and we'll go to the playroom. You can see the others."

Yazu frowned but got up and got changed into a new set of clothes for the day. She let her dad help her with it. She could mostly get dressed on her own now. She just had a little trouble with buttons and ties but otherwise she could handle most of it. She finished getting dressed and stood by the door waiting for Grimmjow.

He took her hand and led her to the playroom. She saw that Hisashi had gotten there first. She frowned and saw that Uncle Starrk was there. Grimmjow went and sat down beside him and they started talking. She wondered what the grown ups talked about when she couldn't hear them. She walked over to Hisashi where he was playing with the train set.

"Hisashi, wanna play with me?" she asked as she sat down beside him.

"Yeah," he said quietly. He looked sad for some reason.

"Why are you sad this time?" she sighed. Hisashi was always sad unless Dam was around.

He frowned and pushed the train on the tracks. "I miss Dam. He didn't come see us yesterday."

"You know that sometimes he doesn't feel good and can't see us," Yazu told him, a little exasperated. Granted, she wanted to see Dam, too. But yesterday had been a bad day for Dam, so he'd stayed with Uncle Sōsuke. She looked up and saw Uncle Nnoitra put Tamashini down and go over to talk to the other grown-ups. Tamashini came over to see what they were doing.

"Yazu, Hisashi," she said and smiled. She was still a little bit younger than both of them, so she didn't talk as well as they did yet. "Babies?"

"No, the babies aren't here yet," Yazu said, knowing she was talking about Kin and Gin. They'd been born almost three months ago, so they weren't able to talk at all yet.

Tamashini used one of each of her four arms to pick up blocks and started putting together a tower. Yazu watched as Uncle Nnoi left, and so did Uncle Starrk. Hmm, she thought. Maybe her dad was supposed to watch them all today. She doubted it because that was a lot of work with all seven of them. She looked up to see Ryoto toddling over to them. Yazu thought he looked funny with his tusks, but she didn't say anything to him in case he cried like Hisashi.

"Ryoto, play?" Tamashini said as she held out a block to him.

He took it and sat down to help her build the tower she was working on. After a few minutes Yazu looked up to see a frazzled looking Uncle Szayel coming into the room and depositing the twins right next to where they were all playing.

"Babies!" Tamashini shouted and got up to pat the two pink haired twins on the head.

Yazu noticed Makiko wasn't there yet. She wasn't surprised, though. Makiko wasn't the funnest person to play with. She was too serious all the time. Just about then, she heard the door open again and saw Uncle Ulquiorra with Makiko. He put her down and she came over to where they were playing. She wore a blank expression as usual.

Suddenly, Hisashi burst into tears and started crying loudly. The twins looked at him, then they started to cry too. Yazu put both hands on her ears and sighed. She walked over to Grimmjow.

"They're crying!" she yelled over the cacophony going on in the room.

Szayel got up and came over to try and calm the twins down, while Grimmjow picked up Hisashi.

"What's the matter with you, boy?" he asked as he held the crying wolf-eared child.

"I want Dam!" he cried and fisted tears out of his big, brown eyes.

Yazu came over and looked at him. "Dam will be here today maybe!" she informed him.

Unfortunately, that only made him start to cry harder. Grimmjow hugged him close and patted his back and tried to sooth him. Yazu looked over and saw Szayel was sitting on the floor, distracting the twins with blocks. She sighed and went over to pick up her doll. She grumpily sat down on the floor and wanted nothing more but to make all of them just be quiet. She picked at the doll's hair and frowned. Why did Hisashi have to be such a crybaby?

She looked up when the door opened again. She gasped and got up, running to the door because it was Dam! She grabbed him around the waist and squeezed. She felt hands on her head and heard his voice.

"Yazu, how are you?" he asked, smiling down at her.

"I'm find but Hisashi's cryin' again," Yazu told him, frowning as Grimmjow came over with the still sniffling boy. He reached out and Dam took him. Yazu grumped a bit and walked back over to where she had been sitting by herself.

She looked up a few minutes later when Dam came over and kneeled beside her. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothin'," she frowned and crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry I couldn't see you yesterday. I came to play with you today, though," Dam said gently.

"Where's Hisashi?" she asked, picking at the hem of her skirt.

"He's with you dad. He's better now. I was worried about you," he said and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up with tears glistening in her eyes.

"I missed you," she said and tried to keep from crying with all her might.

"I missed you, too," Dam said and reached down to hug her tightly. "Now, let's go play with the others, okay?"

Yazu nodded and got up to take Dam by the hand and follow him to where the others were all playing. The twins went for him immediately, babbling baby talk at him. Dam sat down on the floor and started to help with the blocks. Hisashi came over and sat right beside his leg so he was touching him just slightly. Dam reached over and ruffled his hair and went back to helping the twins figure out how to put the blocks together.

Yazu helped with the building blocks too, knowing she could make a bigger tower than any of them, except Dam of course. She didn't know why Dam had the bad days, but she wanted to make them go away for good someday. She decided that she was going to do that when she got big. She was going to figure out how to make Dam's bad days go away for good, that way he could play with them anytime they wanted him to.

"Dam, do you feel good today?" she asked as she watched him get more blocks and hand them to Kin and Gin. Yazu didn't know which was which yet because they looked the same. Dam could tell them apart, though.

"I do feel good today," he told her and smiled. "You don't have to worry so much, Yazu. I have bad days but then I have good days when I can play with you all I want to."

"Yeah," Yazu said and stood up to go over to Grimmjow.

She pulled on his sleeve and he looked down at her. "What is it, kid?"

"Can we make Dam something for him to keep in his room for when he has bad days?" she asked.

Grimmjow frowned. "Like what?"

"A special picture just for him so he can see us still," she said with a sure nod.

"A picture, huh?" he said and stood up. "We can do that. I think Szayel has one of the cameras from the World of the Living."

He got up, going over where Szayel was draped in a chair looking sleepy. They talked for a few minutes and then Szayel got up and left the room. Grimmjow came back and patted her on the head.

"I think it's a wonderful idea. He went to go get the camera, so you can all sit down together and take a picture with yer Dam." He then walked over to talk to Dam.

Yazu clutched her doll to her chest and then went over to where Tamashini was sitting to the side watching the babies play. Tamashini seemed to really like the babies for some reason. Yazu didn't understand why, it wasn't like they really did anything yet. They were small and didn't talk at all. The babies were what Yazu called them.

She looked up and saw Szayel come back in holding what she guessed was the camera. Griimmjow let Szayel keep it and got the kids together. Yazu stood beside her Dam, and Dam held Hisashi. The twins were on the floor in front, with Ryoto, Tamashini, and Makiko standing around them. Dam reached out and put a hand on Yazu's back.

"Okay everyone," Szayel said with a smile. "Give me a smile!" he said and took a couple of pictures before the babies decided to crawl away and play again. "It's okay, I got one with them before they moved off."

Dam set Hisashi down on the floor and went over to get the drawing supplies. Yazu ran over and helped get them out of the drawer. He smiled and thanked for helping. Then they laid everything down on the floor. Hisashi almost crawled into Dam's lap as he started coloring in one of the books that Dam's friends brought them. He liked the ones with animals on them. Yazu picked out one that had pictures of what Dam said were superheroes. She liked those the most.

"We need to think about their learning," she heard a grown-up say. She looked up to see the man with the green and white striped hat again. She hadn't heard him come in. She wondered what that meant. "They need to learn to read and do their basics. They're about the age to begin, especially Yazu." She looked up at her name and frowned.

Grimmjow nodded. "They are getting big enough. So, how should we do it?"

"I'll get some primers from the World of the Living for them to work on. Basics in spelling and writing." Yazu got up and took her picture over to her dad and showed him.

"Look at my picture!" she said with a big smile.

"Oh, that's very nice, Yazu. Do you want to put it on the wall?" he asked as he kneeled in front of her.

She nodded and let him take it. He put it up on the wall with a piece of tape and turned to smile at her. The wall was beginning to get covered with pictures now. Yazu went back and went through the books until she found another picture she liked. This one was of this superhero with a cape that flew. She thought that would be fun to do. She looked over and saw Dam was drawing pictures again with different colors. She smiled because that meant he was having a really good day. He wasn't just using the red colors.

Yazu went over and looked to see what Hisashi was doing. His coloring was a little messier than hers, but she guessed it looked okay. She looked over and saw the babies were both chewing on some of the chewers that were squishy and tough. They stayed together, Yazu noticed. She looked over at Szayel and saw he was leaning back in the chair almost dozing off. She guessed two babies were a lot of work, especially if it was new to him after Dam ha been taking care of both of them.

"What are we going to do next?" she heard her dad say to Szayel. She looked down at her coloring and tried not to seem like she was paying attention to the grown-ups an what they were talking about.

"What do you think we should do? We've done everything we can do to help him. I don't think we're going to get any better than we already are. I think he's gone as far with recovery as possible," Szayel said with a sigh. "I think this is as sane as he's going to get."

Yazu was beginning to understand what the grown-ups talked about. She knew that Dam's bad days had something to do with this thing called sanity. Whatever that meant. She knew that something bad had happened to Dam that made him the way he was and that he didn't always have bad days. She frowned. She had to learn more to help Dam. So, when it came time to learn things, she was going to try really hard.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Urahara looked up as Uryū came into the shoten. "What can I do for you today, Uryū?"

"I heard you were looking for things to teach Ichigo's kids with. I found these at a used bookstore, and I thought it might be helpful," he said and held up a bag.

"Why don't you take them to him?" Urahara said with a grin. "I'm going through with some books that I found."

"Oh, I don't know if I should…" Uryū started. "I've got to get back to the hospital before long."

"You wouldn't be here if you weren't already off from the hospital." Urahara smiled at him. "Ichigo would like to see you again, I'm sure."

Uryū pushed his glasses up his nose and nodded. "I guess you're right. I haven't been to see the twins yet."

"You know, Yazu still has that rag doll you brought her. She doesn't go anywhere without it," Urahara smirked at him. "She asked about the 'glasses guy' sometimes."

"I'm surprised she remembers me," Uryū said and switched the bag to his other hand.

"Come, we'll go and see how today is going," Urahara told him as he led him down to go through to the Dangai to Hueco Mundo.

Once at Las Noches, Urahara led Uryū from the entrance into the maze of corridors to where he knew they would be. He knocked on the door to the playroom and had it opened by Nnoitra.

"Didn't expect you today," he said an let them into the playroom.

"We came with some books to help with their education," Urahara said, holding up the bag he carried. "Uryū has a few, too, so he came along." He looked over where Ichigo was sitting on the floor near the wall with some of the children.

"Ichigo," Nnoitra called. He looked up. "We have visitors. They brought some things for the brats."

Ichigo nodded and got up, but not without one of the little boys following close behind him and hanging onto his leg when he stopped at the table.

"Hi," he said as he looked at them.

"Hello, Ichigo. How are you today?" Urahara asked as he sat down the bag on the table.

Ichigo shrugged. "Okay," he mumbled.

Urahara nodded and pulled the books he'd brought out of the bag. "I brought some reading books for them. It should be good to start them off on learning to read."

Picking up one of the books, Ichigo nodded. "That's nice."

"Uryū has some too," he gestured to Uryū.

"Um, yeah, I found these at a used book store," he explained and pulled the books he'd found out of the bag. "They might be a little advanced right now, but I figured you could use it eventually."

"Thank you," Ichigo said, taking them and looking for a second before putting them down. He turned and went back over to where he had been sitting along the wall with little Hisashi trailing behind him.

"It's been one of those okay days. He just hasn't been too much on talkin' much," Nnoitra told them with a shrug. "He's been fine with the kids, even the babies."

"That's good," Urahara said and smiled over at him. "Oh!" he exclaimed and reached into his kusodo. "I almost forgot about the picture you wanted me to print out for him." He handed Nnoitra a photo of all of the kids with Ichigo.

"What's that for? His photo albums?" Uryū asked.

"Nah, it's actually Yazu's idea. To give him something to remind him of them when he's having a bad day and can't see them," Nnoitra explained as he looked over the photo. "She's rather keen."

Urahara nodded, looking over and seeing that Yazu was indeed listening to them and trying to look like she wasn't. "I think that girl will be something special when she gets a little older."

The door opened and he saw that it was Szayel and Aizen. Szayel smiled at him. "You're just the person I was thinking of talking to!"

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yes, I had some new readings that I wanted you to look over." Szayel gestured for him to follow out the door but he felt a tug on his sleeve.

He looked down to see Yazu standing there staring up at him with those brilliant blue, cat slit eyes of hers. They were bright and so very intelligent. "Mr. Hat?" she asked.

Urahara kneeled in front of her and smiled. "What is it, Yazu?"

"Can I help with Dam?" she asked, clutching her rag doll tightly in her arms.

"Help? What do you mean?" Urahara wondered, watching her intently.

"To make him not have bad days anymore. I want to help," she answered, a very serious look on her face.

Urahara looked at her and smiled softly. "You are very sweet to want to help your Dam. But right now, you're too little to do anything for him. You are best able to help by being close to him and showing him your love."

"But I can learn. I know I can learn how to help!" she insisted.

Reaching out and putting a hand against her cheek, Urahara smiled at her again. "If you get a little bit bigger and still want to help, I'll teach you anything you want to know."

She frowned. "You promise?"

"I promise," Urahara stated. "Whatever you wish to learn, I'll teach you if I can. And if I cannot, I will help you find someone to learn from."

"Okay," she said and turned back to go sit near Ichigo again.

Urahara stood up slowly. "That child…"

Szayel shook his head. "She's observant. She knows a lot more than she lets on, I think."

"Well, let's see these readings you wish to show me," he sighed, glancing back at Yazu one last time as they walked out the door.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo was growing restless by the time the twins were six months old. They were growing fast, well, they all were, but the twins had shot up in height almost equal to Ryoto and Tamashini. He was very proud of all of them, and he truly regretted the days when he wasn't clear enough to spend time with them. Hisashi took his absences the worst, becoming tearful and clingy when he returned.

He snuggled into the covers and reached for the warmth he was seeking. He found it and pulled himself nearer to the warmth.

"Are you awake, Ichigo?" he heard Aizen ask.

"Hmm," he hummed and refused to open his eyes.

"Come, now," he said and Ichigo opened his eyes finally to look at him.

"Why do I need to get up?" he asked, stretching his arms up over his head slowly.

Aizen brushed a hand over his forehead. "Because you want to see the children. Hisashi will cry if you don't see him today."

"Yes, I know. Poor Hisashi, such an emotional child," Ichigo yawned, looking up at him.

Aizen smiled at him, eyes roving Ichigo's face for a moment before he leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Immediately, Ichigo's hands snaked up and gripped his face. He searched his eyes for a few moments before he leaned up and kissed Aizen's lips gently.

"Hmm, I thought you would want to see the children," Aizen said softly, reaching up and covering Ichigo's hand with his own.

"Right now, I want to see you," he answered, moving closer to him and nuzzling into his chest.

"You haven't been interested in anything but sleeping in the bed lately. It surprises me to see that change to quickly," he said, running hands over the back of Ichigo's head where he laid against him.

"Hmm," Ichigo hummed and moved to straddle Aizen's lap. "I'm interested in something other than sleeping now."

"You seem rather clear headed this morning, better than the last couple days," Aizen commented, adjusting to lay back against the head of the bed.

Ichigo nodded, leaning down to kiss the corner of his mouth gently. Aizen reached up and grabbed him by the back of the head and steered him into a kiss that quickly deepened into something hungry and encompassing. Ichigo's hands moved and rested on Aizen's shoulders as he continued to let him softly stroke the inside of his mouth. Finally, the broke apart, both panting a bit for breath.

Reaching between them, Aizen rubbed his hand down the front of Ichigo's yukata, causing him to whine a little. Deft fingers went for the tied obi and quickly undid it, pushing it off behind him. The front of the yukata fell open and Aizen gripped him, causing another whine to escape him.

"Already dripping," Aizen muttered. "You woke up in quite the mood this morning, didn't you?"

Ichigo didn't answer, he just pushed open the yukata that Aizen was wearing and nuzzled his face into his chest. He could feel him hard between his legs as he sat across his lap. He reached down and rubbed against him with the palm of his hand. Again, he hummed and pulled open the front of the yukata and slid his hands down Aizen's length. Aizen adjusted himself and grabbed Ichigo by the hips, pulling him forward.

Without a second more, Ichigo moved to drop down on him, releasing a pent up moan as he met his lap. Aizen gasped a little, clutching his hips with his hands. It was tighter than he expected, and he knew Ichigo had to feel it. Ichigo leaned forward and engaged him in another long, languid kiss. His body began to undulate slightly as he sat there on Aizen's lap. He then began to push back against him, sliding up and down slowly at first before his motions became more insistent and frantic seeming.

Aizen held tightly to his hips and thumped his head back against the head of the bed as he moved. His body thrummed with the energy he was putting into the motions as he began to thrust upward to meet Ichigo's body.

"Aren't we excitable today?" Aizen muttered as he continued to thrust into the tight heat that was squeezing him.

He could tell Ichigo was starting to tire of the position, so he grabbed him and flipped them smoothly over. Ichigo gasped and looked surprised up at him as he was flat on his back now. Aizen growled under his breath and began thrusting into him harder than he had been able to in the other position. At this point, it seemed Ichigo was beginning to come undone. His hair had broken free of the tie that held it and was pooled around his head and his eyes were hooded. He bit down on his bottom lip as Aizen's hands found his arousal and started stroking him.

"Ahh," Ichigo exhaled as he twined the fingers of his right hand into his hair.

Aizen smirked as he pushed his legs further back to get a better angle. He guessed he was getting the right spot when Ichigo nearly squealed out. He continued angling to hit that spot again, to make him squirm and writhe on him.

"Yes, you see to have been in need, my dear," Aizen said as he watched Ichigo's face twist into pleasure.

Ichigo's hand shot out and grabbed at his face again, so he leaned down and stilled his motions. He kissed him thoroughly again. He heard him whining in his throat and felt his body bucking up toward him in an attempt to get friction against him. He disengaged from his mouth and leaned back again, using his hands to control his legs. Ichigo clamped his legs around Aizen's waist and pulled him into him as deeply as he could.

He felt his end approaching and knew that Ichigo wasn't going to last much longer either. He began to thrust into him. He gripped his hand around him and began to stroke him in time with his thrusts. He felt him coming near the end, and leaned over, whispering into his ear.

"Come for me."

Ichigo's back arched a little and he went over the edge without another word. Aizen leaned forward and locked his lips on Ichigo's neck as he thrust through his orgasm. He didn't notice the blue glow from his chest, and he didn't notice the build up of his own violet reiatsu. His eyes were closed as he fell over the crest, not noticing the intermingling of black and violet. By the time he opened his eyes and sighed, things had settled back to normal, and nothing appeared different. He pulled away, grabbing a towel by the bed to clean Ichigo off with quickly.

Ichigo laid there, eyes closed, panting through his open mouth. Aizen leaned in and kissed him again, tongues tangling together in a slow dance. By the time he pulled away, Ichigo's eyes had opened and he had a subtle smile on his lips.

"I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you as well," Aizen responded, reaching up and brushing a hand over Ichigo's mussed hair.

"The babies were keeping me busy, too busy, but I love you more than I can say," Ichigo's voice was clear for once as he spoke.

Aizen's eyes softened and he kissed his lips again quickly. "And I can't express how much I love you."

Ichigo's eyes clouded, though, as he looked past Aizen's head. Aizen sighed, seeing that his moment of clarity was gone.

"Let's get you dressed to go see the children," he said gently as he helped him sit up and dressed him once again. He didn't move much, just went with whatever Aizen did to his body. He carefully brushed his hair back into a braid once more, finding that he still loved to have that done when he was out of it completely. At least it was just a quiet time, and not a bad one.

He steered Ichigo out toward the playroom where the children were no doubt already gathered. He saw that Nnoitra and Ulquiorra were watching them for now. Aizen led Ichigo over to where they were playing and he sat down. Immediately, Yazu came up and hugged him. He was quiet and just looked at her.

"It's a quiet day," Aizen explained with a soft smile to the little girl.

"That's okay," she answered. "We can have quiet fun."

Aizen nodded and walked over to the table where the others were watching. Nnoitra looked up at him.

"How is he today?" he asked.

Aizen glanced over where Ichigo was putting blocks together with Yazu and Tamashini while Hisashi clung to his arm. "He was lucid for a while earlier, but it appears to have faded."

"Too bad, the brats were looking forward to him coming to play today," Nnoitra commented, looking out on them again.

"It will be fine," Aizen said as he crossed his arms, watching as Gin and Kin toddled over to start playing with their Dam. "I know that for certain."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo opened his eyes in the inner world and realized things were much different. The water had receded finally as far as it would go. Ichigo knew that it would never be all the way gone. The buildings were now out of the water, though, and the bubble that had been formed had remained an open and clear space with a house like his own at the bottom of it. The water was still tainted with blackness that spiraled throughout it. It was much less murky, but the dripping ichor of his madness still existed, like it always would.

"Well, are you ready for this?" Shiro said beside him. They were sitting in the living room of the house where his sanity had been protected.

"I suppose I have to be." Ichigo sat up slowly and then stood up.

He walked to the doorway of the house and stared out into the waters that remained out there. He sighed, his mind completely clear for a brief period in here. He could see how much his insanity affected everyone around him much better when he was in here. He looked back at Shiro where he stood patiently behind him.

"How will he react?" Ichigo wondered out loud.

"I should think he'll be surprised. I doubt he noticed the release of spiritual energy that created this one. I don't know that anyone would have recognized it for what it was," Shiro said, putting a hand on his shoulder gently.

From the waters, a figure approached them. Ichigo watched as it got closer then walked through the barrier that kept the water at bay. It was a little boy with big brown eyes and wavy orangey brown hair that fell about his shoulders. He had no mask fragment that Ichigo could see, and he had no animal traits.

"What is your name?" Ichigo asked the young boy.

He smiled at him. "You're my Dam. I'm Kage. I'll be different than the others. I won't be like them at all." He came forward and took Ichigo's hand. "I'll be born like a human child. I'll have to be cut out of the chamber because I won't have a chance to be born like the Arrancar." He smiled. "I'll grow on my own time; not like they do when they grow fast."

"So, you won't be an Arrancar, then?" Ichigo said, looking down at him.

"No, I'll be a Shinigami like you used to be," Kage told him with a grin.

Ichigo wasn't sure how that would work. He would have to have him surgically removed this time, which was a little scary in itself. It wasn't like any of giving birth was entirely safe. Still, this was one way that things hadn't been gone through. He knelt down in front of him and nodded to him.

"I have to go now," Kage said and hugged him suddenly. Ichigo gasped a little and hugged him back. Ichigo let him go and he wandered back through the barrier into the waters.

"I wonder how much he will come around while we're waiting on him to be born," Shiro said as he watched from behind Ichigo.

Zangetsu spoke up for the first time from the shadows. "He will be a special boy, born of two Shinigami by way of the hogyuku."

Ichigo looked at him and nodded. "He'll be a special boy."

"They're all special." Shiro smiled and squeezed Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo stood up slowly and nodded. "Yazu has been trying to learn as much as she can. Kisuke said she wanted to 'help' me. I do wonder what all of them will be when they get older."

"They should come into their resurrección by the time they reach adolescence. I expect they will at least look more like other Arrancar at that time," Shiro said thoughtfully.

"But they'll never have a hollow hole, will they?" Ichigo wondered out loud.

"No, they'll always be without a hollow hole, like you," Shiro confirmed.

Ichigo wasn't sure what he thought about all of the changes that had happened in the last four years, but he did know that he was much better off than he had been. Even though everything had happened as a result of the horrible events in Soul Society, he didn't regret anything. The birth of the children had been something unexpected but wonderful. He would never have gotten to opportunity to become a Dam if it weren't for his body being changed into a full Arrancar. He sighed and looked at Shiro again.

"I didn't end up where I thought I would, but here I am nonetheless." He smiled and looked toward the Zanpakutō spirits and knew he would be alright in the end.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"I don't understand how this is possible," Szayel said as he stared at the readings. "This isn't possible."

Ichigo was laying on the exam table with a smug expression on his face. He'd tried to tell them already that Kage was there. He knew the moment it happened. He'd seen him in his inner world.

"Who…how?" Aizen asked. "He hasn't been with anyone since the twins were born. There is no way that he's been able to… I don't understand how this happened."

"I told you," Ichigo said for the third or fourth time.

"It's not scanning like the others," Szayel said as he looked at the readings he was getting. "I can't tell for sure, but it doesn't seem to be an Arrancar at all…"

"What?" Aizen walked around to look at the readings for himself. "What else would it be?"

Szayel stared for a minute, then looked at Aizen. "It reads like a Shinigami."

"I told you, Kage said he was going to be different from the others. He was right," Ichigo mumbled, swiping around his head at the butterflies that were currently annoying him.

Aizen shook his head, confirming what Szayel was telling him. "By all the readings, it would appear that the father of this one…"

"…is you," Szayel finished, looking at him seriously.

"That's not possible. I'm not an Arrancar, I can't impregnate him. That's impossible." Aizen was sure of this. There was no way. None at all.

Szayel shook his head. "That's the only explanation I can come up with. The reiatsu chamber has formed, the fetus is starting to develop, at a much slower rate than any of the Arrancar."

"That means that… It had to be hogyuku." Aizen put a hand on his chest and considered what had happened.

"It answers to me," Ichigo said, angrily swiping the butterflies off his face where they kept landing on him.

Aizen looked at him, then looked at the readings. "So, what does this mean?"

"It means, in about eight and a half months, he's going to have another baby, but this one will be a full Shinigami instead of an Arrancar. And if he's right, like he always has been, it will be a boy with the name Kage." Szayel was still having trouble believing what he was seeing.

"I told you that Kage was there," Ichigo reiterated.


	18. When Life finds a Way

Chapter Eighteen

When Life finds a Way

When the news that Ichigo was pregnant by Sōsuke Aizen managed to filter to Soul Society, everyone was shocked. There was no way that could happen, they all thought. Of course, it had happened, so there really was no really denying it. Immediately, of course, Kurotsuchi wanted permission to examine him, or at the very least, examine the readings. He was not permitted to exam Ichigo directly, but he was given access to the records from Szayel and Urahara.

"This is unprecedented," Urahara said as he piled together a stack of papers in the temporary office he'd been given to use in Soul Society.

He had no idea how it was actually happening. Even with the hogyuku, it was amazing. He had to get direct readings about it, though, because he had some idea that Ichigo's unique status as an Arrancar without a hollow hole had something to do with it. Each of the children had been born as semi-released Arrancar without hollow holes, but by every reading that they were taking, the current baby would be a Shinigami instead. The prospect was completely unknown.

"You can't be serious?" Rukia came into the office with Renji on her heels.

Urahara looked up, a bit surprised by them coming into the office. "I assume you heard the latest news on Ichigo."

"Yes! He's pregnant with Aizen's child? How can that even happen?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We are still trying to figure out exactly what happened. Ichigo himself says that this one is different; it seems that he's indicated he will need a cesarean to birth this one. Somehow, the Arrancar birthing will not happen. Of course, this is all based on what Ichigo says. So, there is a debate as to how much truth might be in what he says," he said as he put down the papers he was looking at and glanced up at the two of them.

"He's never been wrong," Renji commented, looking at Rukia.

"But how?" Rukia asked again.

"The hogyuku; it has to be." Urahara didn't know any other way it could have happened.

"What does this mean for him?" Rukia asked, starting to worry.

"Well, this one seems to be growing at a rather normal rate for a human or Shinigami. We would seem to have the full nine months to worry on what he's going through," Urahara explained as he stood up. "I'm going there now, to do some scans in person. Would you like to come along?"

Rukia and Renji exchanged a look and nodded. "Yeah, I've got the day off," Renji said and put an arm around Rukia. "We can go see how he's doing."

"I'm sure he'd enjoy that very much," Urahara said with a soft grin as he picked up a device from the shelf behind him.

Before long, they were all three in front of Las Noches. Nel came to retrieve them, smiling at all of them. She took them to the playroom where all the children were playing with Ichigo. He was sitting on the floor, guiding the twins in putting together a block tower. As usual, Hisashi was sitting just close enough to touch him. Yazu came running over to see them.

"Hi Mr. Hat and Mr. Red," she said, then looked at Rukia. "And short lady!"

Rukia blinked and arched a brow at the little girl. Then she knelt down in front of her. "How's your Dam today?" she asked.

"Dam is happy. Dam is gonna have another baby!" Yazu seemed quite excited about it. "I'll have another brother to play with! Maybe this one won't be a crybaby like Hisashi."

"Aw, that's not fair to poor Hisashi. He can't help that he's the type that cries easily," Urahara told her with a smile. "Can you go tell your Dam that we'd like to see him?"

She nodded vigorously and ran over to Ichigo. They could hear her easily from the other side of the room. "Dam! There's visitors!"

Ichigo looked up and saw them. He stood up, leaving the blocks with the twins. He didn't get far before Hisashi had grabbed his hand and was walking right beside him. Ichigo didn't seem to mind, though, and came over with the little boy.

"Hi," he said and looked between them. "Didn't expect anyone today."

"Was a spur of the moment sort of thing," Urahara said and held up the device he'd brought. "I brought something new for Szayel."

"Ah, trying to figure out how the impossible happened," Ichigo said thoughtfully. "I don't know for sure either, but it has happened."

"I'll be back," Urahara said. "You talk to Renji and Rukia while I'm gone talking to Szayel."

"Okay," Ichigo said with a glance over to check on the children who were mostly occupied except for Yazu. She was trying to look like she was playing but it was easy to see that she was listening to everything that was going on around her.

Renji shifted, looking at him. "So, how are you doing?"

Ichigo looked at him for a minute before he spoke. "I'm doing good today. My head is pretty clear. Only a few butterflies have been bothering me today."

"Butterflies?" Rukia asked. She realized that she had never actually talked to Ichigo about what he actually saw in his mind.

Ichigo's eyes traced the path of something they couldn't see over their heads. "Yeah, the black butterflies. Sometimes, there are a lot of them, but sometimes there are just a few. They make things look twisted sometimes. Sometimes there are some sparrows around, too. But lately it's just been the butterflies."

"Oh, that's interesting," Rukia said, not sure how to respond to hearing what kind of hallucinations he had. But he hadn't been this lucid when they'd visited before, so that might have had something to do with it. "Uh, the children are growing," she commented.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder where they were playing. "Yeah, they are. Soon they'll all know how to talk. Hisashi is probably the best speaker, but he's quiet."

At his name, the wolf-eared boy looked up at both of them, his large brown eyes catching the light around them. "He's taken well to learning."

"How is that going, teaching them?" Rukia asked, taking her eyes off Hisashi and looking back at Ichigo.

"Yazu loves it. She wants to know everything she can," Ichigo told them, smiling as he glanced over where she was sitting, still trying not to look like she was listening to the adults' conversation. "Tamashini has been struggling a bit. She likes to use her hands to do things, and she doesn't sit still very well. Makiko has done really well. She doesn't say much, but she seems to pick up the information without difficulty. She's really good at math." Ichigo paused, glancing over at the twins. "Gin and Kin are still a little too small to do much more than learn letters and numbers. Ryoto doesn't seem to be very interested in the work yet, but he's still small. Hisashi here is really good with reading."

"Is there anything you need for them from the World of the Living?" Rukia asked.

"I know I'll need more baby things. I don't have the things to care for an infant since the Arrancar don't stay small for very long," Ichigo said, placing hands on his still flat stomach. "Szayel says that it will be nine months before this one is born, just like a human or a Shinigami."

Rukia smiled at him. "I think we should have something to celebrate the amazing little one that's on the way," she knew that he would like to see everyone again.

"Oh, that would be nice," he said and looked over their heads again.

"We'll arrange it. Maybe get Inoue and the others to decorate. Would you like that?" Rukia asked with a smile.

Ichigo nodded, smiling in return. "That would be nice." He paused and Hisashi tugged on his hand. He looked down and smiled at him. "Okay, yeah, we can go back and play," he said and turned back to Renji and Rukia. "I'll talk to you soon," he said and let the little boy lead him back over to the toys again.

Renji and Rukia stood there for a few minutes until they turned to see that Starrk was the only other person in the room right then. He was leaned back against the wall and looked to be sleeping. Somehow Rukia doubted that he was actually asleep. She felt someone tug on her sleeve and she looked down to see Yazu had come over to them. She knelt down again.

"Hey, what is it?" Rukia asked.

"Are you helping Dam?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked from beside Rukia, frowning.

Yazu looked over at Ichigo and back to them. "Dam needs help a lot of the time. I want to help Dam so I'm learning lots of things so I know a lot about how to help him. Mr. Hat already promised that he was gonna teach me what I wanted to know. So, are you helping Dam, too?"

Rukia looked up at Renji and then back to her. "Well, we'd like to try and help your Dam. If we can."

Yazu stared at her for a moment. "You know why Dam has bad days."

Rukia blinked in surprise at the question. "I don't know what you mean…"

"You and all the grownups know why Dam has his bad days and I'm going to find out when I get big. I won't always be small, and I'm gonna figure out why Dam has bad days and I'm gonna fix them." She had such a serious look on her face.

Rukia didn't know what to tell her, and she certainly couldn't tell her the truth behind Ichigo's problems. "Uh, well, I can talk more about that when you're older," she settled on.

Yazu didn't look impressed by the answer. "I will find out," she said and turned and walked back over to where Ichigo and Hisashi were playing with a train set.

Rukia stood up slowly and looked at Renji. "She's going to be something," she said slowly.

They both looked up as Urahara came back in with Szayel following him. "Ah, are you done with your visit?" Urahara asked as he came over to them.

"Yeah, he seemed to be getting distracted by his butterflies or something," Rukia explained as she looked over at him. "Yazu is certainly sure that she is going to figure out how to fix her Dam."

Urahara nodded. "Yes, she has been adamant lately that she learn everything she can so she can help Ichigo. A studious child, so far she has been able to absorb about everything she is exposed to."

Rukia believed it. She glanced over at the girl again and wondered again what kind of things these children would do as they got older.

Considering that they were of Ichigo's blood, it was quite possible they could show any type of abilities. She wondered how much Ichigo realized about them growing.

"Did you set up your new machine?" Renji asked Urahara, looking over at him.

"Yes, I did. And I'm going to see if Ichigo will let me use it," he said in response, walking over where Ichigo was sitting still with Hisashi.

He talked to him a minute and Ichigo stood up, letting Urahara lead him toward the front again. Hisashi, though, was not happy with the idea that he was leaving. He ran and wrapped around Ichigo's leg, stopping him.

"Dam!" he cried out, looking on the verge of tears.

Ichigo knelt beside him and cupped his face gently. "Hisashi, I'll be back soon. I just need to go let them look and see how your new brother is doing."

"Can't I go?" he asked, a few stray tears leaking from his eyes. He was obviously trying very hard not to cry.

Ichigo smiled at him. "No, I'm afraid there's nowhere for little boys to play in Uncle Szayel's lab, and there are too many dangerous things. Now, just play with the others, and I'll be back."

He stood up and walked out with Urahara and Szayel, leaving Hisashi sitting on the floor where he'd been clinging to Ichigo. He sat there for a second, staring at the door before he suddenly burst into tears. Yazu looked up from where she was playing and gave an exasperated sigh. She got up and stomped over to her brother.

"Hisashi! Stop crying! Dam will be back soon!" she insisted.

The little wolf-eared boy didn't seem to care what his sister said. Rukia wondered if they should help with him, but Starrk, who hadn't been sleeping after all, got up and picked the little boy up carefully and held him to his chest.

"There, now. Dam will come back today. It's not a bad day, so he'll definitely be back," Starrk told him as he returned to sit down in his chair with the little boy. Hisashi looked up at him with tears still streaming down his red face.

"You promise?" Hisashi said with a sniffle.

Starrk smiled at him. "Of course," he said and let the boy lean into his chest and hug him tightly.

Yazu stood where she'd walked over to and sighed expressively, getting both Renji and Rukia to look at her.

"See, he's more of a baby than the babies!" she announced, turning around and stomping back to where she had been playing with her rag doll.

Then the strangest thing happened. Yazu suddenly made a choked sound and hugged her doll to her chest. Rukia looked over at her and saw the little girl was fighting back tears herself. Rukia looked at Renji and saw that Starrk was still comforting the little Hisashi. She walked over and knelt beside her, putting hand on her shoulder.

"Yazu, what's wrong?" she asked.

Yazu turned her big blue eyes on Rukia and picked up her ragdoll. The leg had come off and there was stuffing leaking out of it.

"She's ruined!" she cried, tears starting to slip down her cheeks.

Rukia smiled at her. "Didn't you get this from Uryū?" she asked.

"Glasses man?" she asked. She nodded, cradling the doll against her chest.

"I can take her and he can fix her," Rukia said, patting her on the shoulder.

"He can?" she asked. She looked up at Rukia with wide eyes.

"I know he can. He's very good at sewing," she explained.

"But I don't want her to go away!" the little girl exclaimed.

Rukia sighed and put her arms around her, finding she hugged her back. "Oh, I know that, but we can fix her, it just will take a little time, then she will be back and all better."

Yazu stared at the doll in her hands. "Is that why Dam has to go away so much sometimes? Because they wanna fix him?"

Rukia blinked in surprise at the question, not sure how to answer her. "Um, something like that. But you really shouldn't worry on that."

"Why not? He's my Dam, I should be able to fix him too!"

Rukia realized that the little girl was angry now. She started to realize that she was feeling like she wasn't good enough to "fix" Ichigo when he had a bad day. Rukia imagined it must be hard for her to understand that Ichigo's madness was not related to her and the other children at all, and she couldn't know how much improved he'd become since the days when he was completely out of control.

"Yazu, sweetie," Rukia said, feeling tears pricking at her own eyes. "You do help. All of you help. You don't see it, and you only see those bad days that your Dam has, but the number of good days he has is vastly increased since you've been born into his life. He loves you with all his heart, and it breaks each time he has to stay away from you, I know it."

Yazu sniffled a little, wiping her eyes with her small hand. "You mean that?"

Rukia nodded emphatically. "I do. I knew your Dam when all he had was bad days. And I knew him before he had any bad days at all."

"Really?" Yazu whispered, looking at her amazed. "What was Dam like before he had bad days?"

Rukia smiled at her again. "Well, your Dam was one of my very best friends. He would do anything to help someone he cared about, and I'm sure he still would. He was willing to break the rules when he knew they were unfair. He was a strong fighter, still is one of the strongest I know even though he has bad days. You have to understand, your Dam is still the same person he was before his bad days started. He loves his friends and his family more than anything. So much so that he forgives no matter what has happened to him. He has the strongest, most pure heart I've ever seen. He's probably the brightest soul I know, and I know many souls."

Yazu nodded in obvious awe of Rukia's knowledge. "Dam!" she said and Rukia turned around to see Ichigo standing behind her.

Rukia stood up slowly. "Oh," she said. "I didn't hear you come in."

Ichigo smiled, though. "Thank you," he said softly.

Nodding, Rukia wanted to reach out and hug him, but she wasn't sure if he would welcome such an action. Ichigo, though, leaned toward her with open arms. Rukia took the opportunity to hug him tightly. "No, thank you," she whispered to him, holding back tears. She didn't want to cry in front of Yazu. She let him go and he looked over and saw Yazu.

"You've been crying; what's wrong?" Ichigo asked as he dropped to the floor beside the little girl.

"My doll broked." She held up the doll and the disconnected leg. "But Short Lady said that she could take it to the glasses man to fix it."

"Yes, yes he can. He can fix anything like that. You know he even fixes people, too?" he told her with a gentle smile.

"He does? Is he going to come fix you?" she asked with a wide-eyed glance.

Ichigo tilted his head to the side and looked at her curiously. "Fix me?"

Yazu nodded and whispered. "Fix your bad days."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Ichigo said softly.

"If he fixes dolls and people, maybe he can fix your bad days. I'll ask him when he comes here. Here, Short Lady, you can have my doll to take to Glasses Man," Yazu said, standing up handing the two doll pieces to Rukia. She took them. Yazu then took off over to the other side of the room to play with Tamashini and Makiko.

Ichigo stayed on the floor and watched her go. He didn't move or say anything for a minute until they all heard a squeal. "Dam!"

Ichigo looked over in time to open his arms to catch Hisashi as he dashed over.

Hisashi was happily hugging Ichigo now. Rukia and Renji exchanged a glance.

"We'll go on back to Soul Society, see you soon, Ichigo," Rukia said.

He looked up and smiled at them, eyes bleeding into black and gold for a moment. "Thank you," he said and the color turned back to normal again. He turned back to Hisashi and was asking him if he wanted to color now.

Urahara was waiting at the door with Szayel, still talking over whatever readings they had gotten. They came up and nodded to him. "We're ready, Urahara-san," Rukia said with a smile, holding the doll gently.

"We must be careful; you have precious cargo I see." Urahara tipped his hat toward Starrk and waved at Ichigo. Ichigo actually saw him and waved back as he was collecting the coloring books for Hisashi.

Once back in Soul Society, Rukia decided to go to the World of the Living and get Uryū to fix the doll as soon as she could. Urahara went back with her with his readings. Rukia sensed Uryū was at the hospital. She walked around until she found him in his office. He looked up as she came into the room.

"Rukia," he said with a smile. "What did you need?"

She held up the doll in her hands. "Yazu was upset because it needs to be fixed. I promised you could fix it for her."

Uryū adjusted his glasses and took the two parts of the doll. "Easy enough to fix," he muttered.

Rukia bowed slightly. "I'll leave it with you. She'll be glad to have it brought back to her."

"Wait, I can fix it and you can take it back," he said standing up from his desk.

"No, I think she'd like to see the Glasses Man again. Plus, something impossible has happened," she said, recalling that Urahara had been in Soul Society since the news got to them about Ichigo.

"What?" he asked.

"Ichigo's having another baby. But this time it's not an Arrancar; it's a Shinigami. And it belongs to Aizen," she explained.

Uryū stood still for a minute before that revelation hit him. "But that can't happen!"

"We know, but it has. Everyone's trying to figure it out, but so far Urahara has chalked it up to the hogyuku being the reason for it." She shrugged. "Either way, he'll be having a baby again in nine months or so," she told him.

"Amazing," Uryū whispered and put the two pieces of the doll on his desk.

"I should get back; I just needed to bring the doll to you. I'm going to be talking to Orihime about doing another party for him to celebrate the last one's birth." She nodded at him.

"Last one?" Uryū asked.

"Szayel and Urahara don't believe he'll have any more after this one is born. Unless something drastic changes. He seems satisfied with the children he's already had," she said.

"Alright. Just let me know," he said and smiled at her. "I'll fix the doll and have Urahara take me to Las Noches in the next couple days. I have a day off tomorrow."

"Okay, well, perhaps see you soon," Rukia waved at him and walked back out to return to Soul Society.

Uryū picked up the doll and looked at it. It was well worn, places were threadbare and it was a wonder that only one leg had come off the thing. He sat down again and reached in his desk drawer for his sewing kit. Before long he was studiously fixing the doll, not only the leg, but other places as well. The eyes were loose, and the dress had a small rip in it. He thought that this must be the only doll she loved this much. He smiled. He was glad that it was something he and Chad had given to her, though she only seemed to remember him.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Are you ready?" Urahara asked as they prepared to go to Las Noches.

"Yeah," he said and held up the bag with the doll inside it. He'd picked up a few things to take with the doll back to Yazu too.

Once at Las Noches, they were met by Grimmjow this time. "Yo, what's up?" he asked as he led them through the corridors.

Uryū held up the bag. "I fixed Yazu's doll and wanted to return it."

Urahara broke off, saying he was going to Szayel's lab to ask about something. Uryū nodded to him and was led the rest of the way to the playroom where Ichigo was with the children. He saw that Nnoitra was seated on the other side of the table, watching as Ichigo colored with some of the little ones.

"Yazu!" Grimmjow called. "Come 'ere."

The little girl looked up and saw Uryū. She gasped and got up from her coloring book and ran over to him.

"Glasses Man!" she exclaimed. "Did you fix my doll?"

Uryū smiled and handed her the bag. "I did. And there's some other things in there for your doll, too."

She excitedly pulled out the doll, hugging it tightly. "Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed and the began going through the other stuff in the bag.

"Did you make this?" she asked, gasping and pulling out a little dress.

"I did. I thought you could use a change of clothes for her," Uryū told her, smiling as she pulled out all three of the little dresses he'd made just for the doll.

"Oh, thank you!" she said and ran and hugged him tightly.

Uryū was a little surprised but put his hands on her back and was thoroughly hugged. She let go and took the doll and all the dresses to run over to Ichigo. Uryū watched as she showed him excitedly that the doll was all fixed and the pretty dresses the Glasses Man had made for her. Ichigo looked up and smiled at Uryū.

"You! Just who I need!" he heard and turned around to see Szayel and Urahara coming into the room.

Szayel looked a little out of breath. "I wanted to catch you before you left. Can you come to the lab with us? I'd like to discuss it without little ears."

Uryū glanced over to see Yazu staring at them hard. "I see why," he said and nodded at them. "Sure, I'm off today so I'm in no hurry to get back."

"Good, good," Szayel said and put a hand on his back to steer him out the door.

A few minutes later, they were in the lab and Szayel was bringing up a scan on his monitor. He stepped back.

"So, we wanted to ask you if you would be able to do the cesarean when the time comes?" Szayel asked point blank.

Uryū blinked for a minute. "Me?"

"You're actually a surgeon. Not a researcher like either of us," Urahara told him, crossing his arms.

"I suppose that's true," Uryū admitted. He had never thought that he'd be asked to something like this, but he understood why. "The only one who might have enough experience with surgery is Kurotsuchi. And he's not going to be allowed near Ichigo…"

"That's an understatement," Urahara commented, glancing over at the monitor. "As near as we can tell, the chamber is created from his reiatsu, just like a human womb. Whether it is a physical change that he will always have, we are unsure. He may simply have an extra organ after this is done."

"So, it is actually manifesting as being there like the rest of his internal organs?" Uryū asked as he looked over the monitor. "That's amazing."

"The problem with this artificial womb that his reiatsu is creating is that it has no exit. Unlike the previous Arrancar pregnancies, the reiatsu chamber was made only of spiritual energy, and that same energy created a birth canal as a way to allow them to be born. This time, the reiatsu has created a physical womb," Szayel said as he brought up the latest scans they had for Ichigo.

"What does this mean for his future?" Uryū asked. "After he has this baby, will he be able to have another one?"

Szayel and Urahara exchanged a look. "We have no idea," Urahara finally admitted. "The implantation was impossible to start with, only through the hogyuku could this happen. With the Arrancar, the transfer of spiritual energy is what causes the impregnation. Everything is done on a spiritual level. This is different. This is as though he were still human or Shinigami."

"So, you want me to do this because I know how to work on physical, human bodies. How will you know when it will be time?" he asked.

"Honestly, we have no real idea how this one will happen. We have to assume that Ichigo will probably know when it is time to give birth, but there's a chance we will just have to schedule a time when approximately nine months has passed. We'll keep the imaging machine I've brought from the World of the Living on hand to check on his progress as we get to the last month." Urahara sighed. "This is all assuming we go with what Ichigo has told us."

"He's never been wrong, right?" Uryū asked, still looking over the scans.

"No, he hasn't. So, we're going on the assumption that he is again right. He was correct about the fact it would be a cesarean. That's the only conceivable way for this baby to be born at this point." Szayel showed Uryū the difference between the different scans of the pregnancies.

"I'll have to be 'on call' for this, won't I?" Uryū asked but it was more of a statement.

"I'm afraid so," Urahara confirmed.

"I have some vacation time built up. I can take it in nine months. I suggest you figure out when nine months will happen and schedule to do the surgery. I'll come to Las Noches two weeks before that date in case Ichigo is early," he said, stepping back away from the monitor. "That's the only way we'll make sure he delivers at an appropriate time."

"Alright, then that's settled," Szayel said as he turned off the monitor. "Do you want to tell him good-bye? He's having a pretty good day today. Only one minor incident where the butterflies bothered him."

"Butterflies?" Uryū asked as they all walked back to the playroom.

"He sees black butterflies, he says. Some other things, but the butterflies are most often what he complains about," Urahara said as he opened the door.

They came into the room to find that Ichigo was still sprawled out on the floor with the coloring books, colors, and pencils. Hisashi was lying right beside him, touching him as much as he could. Yazu was busy with her doll, and ignoring the others until she saw Uryū again. She got up and came running over, nearly tripping over Ryoto who was trying very hard to color a large letter A.

"Glasses Man! Mr. Hat!" she said as she ran up to them.

"Hi there, Yazu," Urahara said and tipped his hat at her.

"Glasses Man, you fixed my doll. Are you going to fix Dam, too?" she asked, looking up at him with wide, bright eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning at the question.

"Dam said that you fix people too. So, since you fixed my doll, and you know how to fix people, you can fix Dam and make it so he doesn't have bad days anymore?" She held the doll tightly to her chest.

Uryū took a breath, momentarily thrown off by such a question. Luckily Urahara knelt before the child and put a hand to her cheek. "Uryū here is going to help when it's time for your new brother to be born. Dam will have to have a surgery to get him out of his stomach, and Uryū is going to be the one to do it."

"Okay, but what about Dam's bad days, can't he fix that too?" she pleaded with him.

"I-I wish I could fix his bad days, but that's one thing I can't fix, Yazu," Uryū explained, seeing the littler girl's face fall.

She frowned deeply and huffed a breath through her nose. "Well, if you can't fix it, I'll have to learn how to fix it so Dam doesn't have bad days anymore." She turned on her heel and marched back over to where she had been playing, this time avoiding Ryoto who had progressed to coloring the letter B in the book.

"I wish I could do what she wants," Uryū said as Urahara stood beside him again.

"We all do," Urahara said as he looked over at Grimmjow.

"I'll get 'im," he said and got up to walk over to where Ichigo was lying down on the floor.

Ichigo looked up when he touched his shoulder and nodded. He put down his pencils and stood up, pausing to tell Hisashi to stay there and color some more. He walked over to them, smiling as he got there.

"Thank you for fixing her doll," he said, eyes a little hollow looking today.

"No, it was nothing. It looks like a well loved doll," Uryū said, smiling at him.

"She's the only one that seems to have attached to a lovey object," Ichigo told him, glancing over at them.

"Um, have you got any use out of the books I brought?" he asked after Ichigo was silent for a few seconds.

Ichigo turned toward him, blinking as if surprised to see him there. "Oh, yes. Hisashi is going through the reading material very quickly. So is Yazu. The others are coming along, too. Tamashini is struggling the most. She can't seem to sit still."

"It maybe she doesn't do well with learning by sitting down and going through books," Uryū posited.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, she does like to user her hands a lot."

There was another silence between them. Ichigo seemed to stare off to the side for a minute, then looked back at them. "I hope to see you soon," he said and turned to go back to resume coloring with the children.

Uryū didn't expect the tug on his pants. He looked down to see the pale, green eyed girl. He couldn't for the life of him remember her name, though. He kneeled in front of her and smiled.

"What do you need?" he asked her.

She looked at him for a minute, just staring at him. Uryū started to feel a bit uncomfortable under her gaze.

"You are the one that makes the bow," she said matter-of-factly.

Uryū was a little surprised that she knew about that. "Um, yes, I do have a bow."

"I want to do that," she said with no expression on her face.

"I don't know if that can work for you," Uryū said slowly. He remembered hearing that Ichigo's mother had been a Quincy, so technically, they should inherit that bloodline from him. If one were to believe that such things could be passed through the spiritual way the Arrancar were created. They had inherited physical features from Ichigo, so he supposed it might be possible.

"It will." She spoke with surety. "You will teach me."

She then turned away and walked back to where she'd left her coloring book. Uryū stood up slowly and looked after her. "That was odd."

"Makiko," Urahara provided. "She doesn't talk much. That's actually the most I've heard her say since I've been working with Ichigo here. She's Ulquiorra's child."

"How does she know about the Quincies and the bows?" Uryū asked with a frown.

Urahara looked at him. "I have no idea. It isn't something anyone around here has ever talked about in front of her. Her knowledge is vague, it seems, but it is there."

Uryū turned to him, curious. "That's going to be interesting…"

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Shiro sat on the building and stared into the distance. He didn't flinch when he felt Ichigo put his hands on his shoulder. He turned and looked up at him.

"Hey, how're things going out there?" Shiro asked with a slight smile.

Ichigo sat down beside him and sighed. "Alright. They're still trying to figure out how I managed to get pregnant this time," he said with a wry smile.

"Yeah, I know. Kind of amusin' to see 'em try," he said with a sigh.

"This is the last one, isn't it?" Ichigo asked, leaning back on the building and looking up.

"Yeah. Kage will be the last one. Then you can concentrate on helping them grow up and become who they are intended to be," Shiro said, putting a hand on Ichigo's leg.

"What are they going to be? Do you know?" Ichigo asked, not looking at him.

"I know a little bit. I know Yazu is going to be a scientist that eventually puts getabishi and Szayelaporro to shame. Hisashi is going to be forever at your side, I know that. Makiko is gonna be a Quincy of all things. Tamashini, she's going to do something with mechanical stuff, so ya need to start steering her in that direction. Ryoto is going to be a warrior, always protectin' his family and fighting for them. Gin and Kin will always be inseparable, and eventually they'll find their path together. And Kage, well I don't know anything about him," Shiro explained. "For some reason, his future path is unclear."

"That's interesting," Ichigo commented. "I'm glad that you can see the path for some of them. It gives me hope for them, even on my worst days."

"Things have been good lately, though," Shiro reminded him. "You've had very few bad days since this pregnancy began."

"But the bad ones I do have take me out of commission for a long time when they happen. There are days when I can't even see the real world though the images in my brain," he said with a deep sigh.

Shiro nodded. "I know. But they are fewer when you can't interact with the children. Things will always be tough for you out there, but you'll make it through. Then, one day, your children will have children of their own."

"Do you know if they're alphas or betas?" Ichigo asked.

"Ah, that I don't know. We'll have to see who takes which path down the road ahead," Shiro said and turned around to look at Ichigo. "Either way, they'll all be happy, and they will want to see you happy."

Ichigo nodded. "I find it funny when I'm in here, how clear everything is, but it gets so muddled out there," he sighed. "I wish I could take this clarity with me outside of here."

"I know, but you take as much as you can. You've come a long way, always remember that," Shiro reminded him.

"I know, I know. I have my mates who love me, and the children they gave me. And Sōsuke," he said and reached over to take Shiro's hands. "Things are as good as they possibly be out there for me."


	19. When the Constraints Let Go

When the scans came through, Kurotsuchi was waiting for them. He had been anticipating getting his hands on anything related to the research he'd started nearly ten years ago.

Luckily for him, Urahara and Szayel were willing to share the information with him. He couldn't examine the subject directly, which was a pity, but he would at least be able to continue the research that he had begun already. He was a bit frustrated that the head captain was so unreasonable about the situation. It wasn't like he had done anything to harm Soul Society. He would make do with what he had, though.

"Taichou," Akon said as he walked back into the research room. "Here's the scans you were waiting for," he said and handed off a folder to Kurotsuchi.

"Yes, good," he muttered, sitting down and going through the scans.

What was interesting, from a research perspective, was how all this happened. He wished he could get his hands on the hogyuku to confirm some of these assumptions, but that was impossible unless Aizen relinquished it. He knew that was not going to happen. Instead he was stuck with scans from Szayel and Urahara.

"This is even more impossible than the Arrancar pregnancies," he said as he looked over the newest scans of Ichigo's current pregnancy.

"It is unbelievable," Akon confirmed, already having looked through the information when it came in.

"To think, the hogyuku could enact this kind of change…" Kurotsuchi muttered.

"I can't imagine having that many kids that close together, though," Akon commented, crossing his arms over his chest thoughtfully.

"He is nothing more than a brood sow for those Arrancar, so it is nothing unexpected. They are animals, after all, and they reproduce like them. I wish I could experiment on hollows directly, but the Head Captain banned live experimentation," Kurotsuchi commented.

"The results were unpredictable as it was," Akon commented. "Let me know if you need anything else, Taichou," he told him and headed out of the room.

Kurotsuchi went through the scans, seeing that they had managed to get pretty detailed scans despite the subject being completely insane. Granted, he was one to talk about sanity, he supposed. He looked up as Nemu came into the room.

"Where have you been?" he snapped.

"Organizing the new data that came in," she answered.

"Hmph," he muttered and continued to look over what he'd been sent. "This whole situation is virtually impossible from start to finish. I cannot conceive of how this is possible in the scientific sense."

"It would seem that the hogyuku is capable of much more than we initially thought," Nemu responded.

"So, it would seem," Kurotsuchi said and growled under his breath. This would all be much easier if he could just examine the subject again and compare it to the readings he had taken already before he was transformed into an Arrancar.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Orihime was excited for this trip to Las Noches. She had thrown a baby shower once before, when Tatsuki got pregnant with her baby. This time, though, it was different. They'd had a get-together for Ichigo before, but it had been a surprise, and this time he was even saner than he had been. And this time it was like a regular pregnancy, too. Little Kage would probably not grow as fast as his siblings, but it would be a while before they figured out exactly what the child would be like. No one knew for sure what to expect after all. It was all unknown from here on out for everyone.

She could only talk to Uryū, Tatsuki, and Karin about what she was doing. Uryū was planning on going, and both Tatsuki and Karin sent presents for the baby. Karin wanted to see Ichigo, but it was too much of a risk for her to go to Hueco Mundo.

Since this was the first real infant that Ichigo would deal with, everyone helped by getting things that a small baby would need. The Arrancar were all born mobile and grew very quickly to be what would be human aged of about five or six when their growth substantially slowed down. There were lots of toys to entertain children around that age and the toddler years, but nothing really for a baby like Kage would be. She wondered how they would handle having to deal with such a little one until he got big enough to move around on his own. She hoped that Ichigo could handle it. She supposed that he had lots of people to help with things, though.

She'd finished packing up everything and headed to Urahara's where she was meeting Uryū so they could both go to Las Noches. Urahara, of course, was coming too. This was going to be a rather large bunch of people here for this one.

"Ah, here you are," Urahara said as they came into the shoten. "I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten, Inoue-san."

"Of course not, Urahara-san," she said with a grin. "I've been looking forward to doing this for a while. I have everything ready. Is Uryū already here?"

"He is," Urahara told her. "Let's get everyone on the way to Las Noches!"

In a few minutes, they were standing outside Las Noches and waiting for someone to come retrieve them. This time Ichigo came with Grimmjow.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime exclaimed as she saw him. He looked like he was in a good mood, which was an exceptional thing for the day.

"Hi," he said with a placid look on his face.

"You're looking well," Uryū commented, adjusting his glasses.

Ichigo put his hands over his belly. He was about six months along now, and was really looking like he was growing closer to the end.

"I am feeling well today," Ichigo said, smiling a little bit as he spoke. "They said today was the baby shower, and so far, there haven't been any butterflies."

Uryū and Orihime exchanged a glance and tried to smile. As usual, it was a little awkward when he talked about his hallucinations. She cleared her throat. "Um, we brought all kinds of fun stuff to do today! Rukia and Renji should be here with Chad soon. He had a shift at the animal shelter this morning and couldn't come with us."

"Oh, that's good. I haven't seen everyone in a while," Ichigo said and grabbed Grimmjow's hand. "We should go back to the room. The children will be looking for me if I'm gone too long."

"Yeah, Hisashi will start cryin' if his Dam is gone too long," Grimmjow muttered. "So, come on?"

Orihime and Uryū both followed Urahara as he followed Grimmjow and Ichigo. They were soon in the room with the children. They all seemed to be happily playing at the moment. As soon as the door shut, though, a small orange headed blur came rushing over to them and Orihime saw it was Hisashi.

"Dam!" he exclaimed. "You were gone so long!"

Ichigo snorted and laughed, reaching down and ruffling the little boy's hair. "I was barely gone for half an hour, child," he chided. He knelt beside him and hugged him tightly. He decided, though, that a hug wasn't enough, and he wasn't letting go. Ichigo just lifted him up a little awkwardly around his burgeoning belly and situated him as best he could on his hip.

Orihime smiled, reaching out and gently touching Hisashi's face where he laid it against Ichigo's shoulder. "He's gotten bigger since I was last here."

"He's still a crybaby," Yazu complained, now standing beside them. She held up her doll to Uryū. "Glasses man, my doll is still fixed. You fixed it good for me," she explained and hugged the doll to her chest. "So, that means when you fix Dam after Kage is born, he'll be fixed good too, right?" she asked.

Uryū gasped, not sure what to say at first. He gave her a small smile and nodded. "He'll be fixed up just like your doll, I promise."

"Good," Yazu said, turning and going back over where she was reading one of the primers it looked like.

"She's always so worried about me," Ichigo said with a sigh. "She doesn't show it that often, but she does."

"She's a very sweet girl. Are the others doing well?" Orihime asked. She glanced around to see Urahara had disappeared. She guessed he probably went to the lab like he usually did when they came to Las Noches.

"Tamashini is starting to excel at doing things with her hands. Right now, all four of them," Ichigo smiled, glancing over where the dark-haired little girl was sitting on the floor with something that she was taking apart. "We started giving her broken electronics from Agartha that are beyond repair for her to take apart. She seems to enjoy that quite a bit."

He turned where the darker skinned boy with the tusks was sitting with the pale girl with the black and orange hair. "Ryoto is showing a lot of aptitude for fighting skills already. We've had to start teaching him already because he was causing problems with getting a bit too rough with the twins. It wasn't a very big deal, but he needed an outlet for his physical energy. Makiko has shown herself to be quiet, but studious. She's the second-best reader after Yazu."

"And the twins?" Orihime asked, glancing over where the two nearly identical toddlers were talking back and forth with each other in their own little language.

Ichigo looked over at them and gave another small smile. "They're talking better, if we could get them to stop talking to each other like that. We have no idea what they say to each other, but they carry on full conversations with each other like that all the time. They're picking up the basics on reading pretty quickly it seems."

Orihime was impressed because this was the clearest she thought she'd ever seen Ichigo. Maybe this last baby was going to be a very good thing for him. Maybe he would have less frequent episodes once the baby was born. She certainly hoped so, especially since they were expecting Kage to grow at a more normal rate instead of the accelerated first years of the Arrancar children. It made sense, though, that they grew fast at first. They would need to protect themselves from things in the wastes of Hueco Mundo.

"Well, we'll go set things up in the dining room like we did for your birthday celebration. I've got some games we can play when everyone gets here. I hope you like what everyone brought for you!" she said with a grin toward him.

"Will my father be coming?" he asked, looking a little hopeful.

"Of course! He'll be coming through with Chad in a little while. He wouldn't miss this for anything," Orihime assured him.

"Unless there was an emergency," Ichigo said, looking at her. She knew he was well aware of what his father had done and still did in the World of the Living.

"Right, but I'll come get you when everything is ready! I promise, it will be a lot of fun! I organized one for Tatsuki's baby." Orihime took a moment and smiled at him as he looked back at her for a time, almost dazed looking for a moment.

"Tatsuki had a baby, did she?" he said finally.

Orihime gasped a little. She guessed there would be no way for him to have known that unless one of them had told him. "Yeah, she did. A couple years ago. She's got a little girl. I'll have to bring pictures of her next time I come so you can see her and the baby."

Ichigo smiled and nodded. "I'm going to go draw while I wait for you to come back," he said and turned and walked over to a low table that had been added to the room for the kids and Ichigo to use to color and draw on.

Orihime smiled, looking over to see that Starrk, Grimmjow, and Nnoitra were all present. She looked over at Uryū then walked over to the table they were all seated at.

"Could one of you show us the way to the dining room we're using?" she asked.

"I'll do it," Grimmjow said as he stood up. "Things are pretty quiet."

Grimmjow led them into the dining area where they were going to set up everything. They had invited Imelda, Dima, and their twins, as well as Artemisia, Ratri, and their daughter Niobe. They had also invited Fereydun, Chilin, and their little boy Huan. The group from Agartha was supposed to come together at any time. The group from Soul Society would be Renji, Rukia, Unohana, Jūshirō, Shunsui, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Shūhei an Kira. Renji and Rukia were going to pick up Chad and Isshin to bring them as well.

Orihime and Uryū started putting up the decorations which included a banner that said "Welcome Kage" that Orihime had made for it. Before too long, the Agarthan Arrancar arrived. The four children immediately picked out a spot on the side of the big room to sit down and start playing with each other.

"Is there anything we can do to help set up?" Imelda asked while Dima kept an eye on the kids.

"I've got to finish decorating the cake and set up the present table. If you want to help set up the tables while I do the cake, that would be wonderful!" Orihime said as she put the cake on the main table.

Imelda set about helping move some of the tables around until they had an open space around the main table. Renji and Rukia arrived with Isshin and Chad in the middle of getting the tables set up, and both were quick to pitch in and help. Orihime had Ratri, Artemisia, and Rukia set up the games that they were playing at tables around the room. They had planned to move around the room and play each game that was at each station as they went.

It wasn't much longer before everyone else had arrived and things were all set up. There was a table full of presents for the new baby, and another table with snacks and drinks for everyone to share in. In the corner with the older children, there was a table set up with colors and coloring books for them to share as well as some blocks and other toys from the playroom.

Orihime looked up in time to see Aizen come into the room and look around. She went over to him. "Um, did you want to bring the children and Ichigo or do you want me to go down and get him?" she asked.

"I'll retrieve them," he said with a nod and smiled at her.

She had to take a minute to remind herself that this was Aizen's child too, and she supposed that she would have to be used to the idea that he was going to be present and participating with everyone. She watched him leave and after a few minutes, the rest of Ichigo's Arrancar mates came in with the other children, taking them each back over and setting them down with the children from Agartha. Then, Aizen came in with Ichigo, leading him by the hand. For a moment, Ichigo looked confused, then he smiled.

"It's beautiful," he said as he looked around at the room.

Orihime came up to him and gave him a gentle smile. "We have some games we're going to play. Do you think you want to do that?" she asked him.

Ichigo looked at Aizen then back to Orihime and nodded. "I think so. I still feel like doing things with everyone today."

So, they began the fun and games. The first game they went to was to guess how big around Ichigo was measuring by taking a spool of yarn and cutting lengths. Each person would then wrap their string around Ichigo, and the one with the closest to being exactly right would be the winner. It turned out that Renji had the best guess. Everyone congratulated him for his win, and he got rewarded by putting a diaper pin on his chest.

The next game they played was one where there was a bunch of flaps of paper on the wall. Under each of them was the name of a baby item. Each person would have to guess what was under the paper and make matches across the board. As the papers were removed, there was a picture of a baby underneath it. There was a tie for the winner of this game, Imelda and Yumichika both got the same score and got a diaper pin.

After they finished that game, they went to one where there were bags with baby items hidden inside. Everyone got into ten teams and someone in each team got to look in the bag and see what they had. Then, the rest of their team had to guess the item by description only without saying the name. The first team to guess theirs was Ratri, Imelda, and Rukia.

They played a few more games, including a guessing game where everyone had to try and figure out what item Ichigo was thinking of, and one where everyone had to diaper dolls with their eyes covered. Everyone seemed to have a great time with the games, and Ichigo seemed to be enjoying himself a great deal.

The kids were well occupied with each other for most the games, until about halfway through Hisashi couldn't stay with the other kids anymore and came running to cling to Ichigo's leg. They let him stay with Ichigo because he was nearly in tears already. He just wanted to be by his Dam.

By the time all that was done, they headed to do the baby gifts. Ichigo was amazed at the amount of packages that were waiting on him, as it seemed everyone had brought him something. Most of the items from the Arrancar were handmade items like blankets, hats, and booties. There were a couple bags of random seeming items that they had collected that might be needed. Those from the human world had brought all sorts of baby items, from bottles and clothes, to small washcloths for cleaning him. They were going to do cloth diapers for the baby, so they didn't have to continuously get diapers from the World of the Living. Those from Soul Society brought a variety of baby items for him.

Isshin had brought Ichigo a swing that ran on batteries. He told him that as a baby he'd loved having a swing like that. Ichigo had been moved nearly to tears by his gift and the story he told of him as a baby.

The entire time, Aizen stayed with Ichigo, sharing in the games and then helping when he started to get distracted by something. Ichigo seemed to be able to stay relatively lucid the entire time, only having his mind really wander a couple of times.

By the end of the party, though, Ichigo seemed to have had enough. He was staring into the distance and not interacting very much anymore.

"I hope things were fun for you, Ichigo?" Orihime said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

He looked at her for a moment then nodded, smiling finally. "I had fun. But I'm getting tired now. And so are the kids, I think."

Hisashi was curled up in a pillow on the floor sound asleep by Ichigo's feet, and the other children were seemingly slowed down significantly in their playing. Yazu was sitting with her doll on the floor with the next oldest kid there, Niobe. They had all had cake and were finally just giving out from exhaustion, it seemed.

"I know, it's good that they've had fun, and you have too. I can't wait to see little Kage. I'm going to come to Las Noches to help Uryū with the delivery, by the way," Orihime said with a gentle smile. "I hope that that's okay."

"Yeah, you know what you're doing, I imagine," Ichigo told her with a small smile before he yawned himself.

"I think it might be time for everyone to have a little downtime," Aizen said as he looked around at the people who were sitting around the room.

"I think so." Ichigo picked up Hisashi, making the little boy grumble in his sleep as he adjusted him to his hip. "Thank you everyone," he said and gave a small wave.

Isshin came over and kissed him on the cheek, patting Hisashi on the head. "It was good to see you, my son. I'll be back after the baby arrives to see you again."

With that, Ichigo turned and headed to the playroom followed quickly by the rest of the children. In short order, on a pile of pillows in the corner, Ichigo was sleeping surrounded by all seven of the little ones. Hisashi, of course, was snuggled as close as he could get to his Dam.

Once they were all settled, Aizen turned to Orihime. "I want to thank you for all you've done for him. I know that it has been hard to see him like this for you and the others. But you've helped get him as far as he is lately."

Orihime smiled. "Thank you. I am just glad to see him happy."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"How're things going out there?" Shiro asked as soon as Ichigo opened his eyes in their inner world.

Ichigo yawned and stretched. "I'm tired all the time and I feel like I swallowed a basketball. The other times it didn't last as long. And I thought then it was a long time to spend pregnant."

In the inner world, of course, he didn't appear pregnant anymore. It was one of the only times he was free of all the constraints on him in the real world. He was going to enjoy both the clarity and not having a huge belly.

"Ha, well, you're almost there. And so far, no mishaps at all. No crazy hallucinations other than the regular ones, nothing extreme. No more visions of the kids terrifying you," he told Ichigo.

"Yeah, those are particularly bad," Ichigo muttered, running a hand over his head thoughtfully. "I don't want to see any of the kids like that," he added.

Shiro was quiet a moment. "Are you nervous about this one? Since yer dependin' on Uryū to cut ya open this time and all."

Ichigo arched a brow and looked at him. "I trust Uryū. I mean, he's a good surgeon in the World of the Living, so I don't see why he can't do this for me successfully. I know his specialty isn't babies, but it can't be much different than what he's used to doing."

"That's true," Shiro admitted and put an arm around Ichigo. "I just worry that something will go wrong this time," he commented.

"Things will go fine, Shiro," Zangetsu said with a look toward the pair of them from his space on top of a pole nearby them.

"I'm glad yer confident," Shiro muttered.

"I know that it will be alright," Ichigo confirmed.

"It's just, this is the first time we're putting our life in someone else's hands completely. I mean, I know with Tamashini and Ryoto there were problems, but for the most part things went fine. This is different," Shiro said, looking at Ichigo with a serious face.

"I know, but how has Kage been in here?" he asked, looking around for the little boy's visage.

"He's been showing up about once a day playing in the water. He seems like a happy little boy."

"Still no idea what he's going to do?" Ichigo asked, looking down into the clear area where the house still sat open to the world above it. He could just barely see the little boy playing just outside the house.

"Nah, his future is an enigma to me. But I do know that he will do something you don't expect him to do," Shiro looked over at him. "But yer getting soft, so you better work on training a lot when you have Kage. Don't want you getting rusty."

"I know, I know. I just haven't felt like sparring with Grimmjow or Nnoitra lately. Sleeping with Starrk or Ulquiorra seems to be more fun to me right now," he said with a sigh.

"Well, not for much longer," Shiro assured.

"I should probably go back. I think Sōsuke will be worried if I stay out for too long. I'll be back soon I'm sure," Ichigo said and closed his eyes.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

When he awoke in the real world, he felt a sudden and overwhelming bout of anger for no good reason. He hadn't felt this way in a while, so it was unusual. He growled under his breath and rolled in the bed, imaginary foes bothering his mind. He knew he would have to deal with it, though.

"Ichigo?" he heard, and he opened his eyes to see Aizen looking at him in concern.

"Everything's red. I want to fight someone," he said and stood up, wandering over to the mirror once again. He put his hands on his belly and stared at himself.

"You can't fight in your condition, my dear. You are weeks away from giving birth to little Kage. I don't think that sparring right now…" Aizen started.

"I need to do something!" he exclaimed, turning to glare at Aizen. "I will fight with someone whether you like it or not!"

"At least, put on your clothes and get your sword, then. I'm sure that either Grimmjow or Nnoitra would be able to entertain you for a while…" he said with a glance back toward the rack where Zangetsu was kept.

"Someone, anyone, I have to do something to beat them," he mumbled, letting Aizen help him get into a kusodo and a pair of hakama.

"Let's find you a sparring partner who can be careful enough in your condition," he said slowly, planning on leading him to Grimmjow's room to see if he would be willing to do something with him despite his very pregnant status.

Ichigo grabbed his sword off the rack, hand hesitating over the short one. Aizen put his hand over Ichigo's. "I don't think you should take the short blade."

He growled and grabbed the long blade and turned on Aizen, causing him to put up a hand to block a fist that came at him without warning. Aizen arched a brow and put a hand on his wrist to hold him in place.

"Now, come on, you're feeling upset for some reason," Aizen pointed out.

Ichigo only growled a little and yanked his hand back again. "I want to fight."

"Alright, alright, let's go find Grimmjow," Aizen said, placing a hand on his back and steering him out into the hallway.

Aizen had no idea how he was going to spar in his condition at all, but he didn't want to overly stress him right then. He headed toward Grimmjow's rooms. It was still early, so Aizen wasn't even sure if he was even awake yet. He knocked upon the door loudly.

"What the hell?" he heard from inside. Grimmjow opened the door and glared at them with hair mussed over his head. "What is it? Yazu's not even awake yet."

"He wants to spar," Aizen told him.

"Now?" Grimmjow asked, looking at Ichigo.

"Now," Ichigo growled, hands twitching at his sides as though he was itching to grab his sword.

Grimmjow arched a brow, having not seen him in this mood for a while. "Yer kidding. Yer about ta pop as it is."

"I still want to fight!" he grumbled, looking away from him angrily.

"Alright, alright, just a minute. Let me get the brat up and take her to the playroom," Grimmjow muttered, shutting the door on them.

Ichigo wasn't patient and started pacing back and forth. Aizen sighed. Uryū and Orihime were scheduled to arrive today. Somehow, he was glad that they were going to be on hand in case anything happened while he attempted to spar with Grimmjow. He had a feeling that it was going to be an awkward sparring session to say the least with him this far along in the pregnancy. Somehow, they had avoided these times with the others. He guessed that Ichigo was just too exhausted by everything to decide he wanted to fight.

Grimmjow emerged a few minutes later, holding a half-asleep looking Yazu.

"Dam?" she muttered, spotting Ichigo.

Ichigo, though, growled and turned away. Grimmjow patted her. "Dam's in a bad mood, so let's take you to the playroom. I bet Makiko is already there; she's been getting up early."

"Why's Dam in a bad mood?" she asked as they walked toward the playroom. Aizen walked behind Ichigo to make sure he didn't take off somewhere before they got there.

"I think Dam is just having a bit of a bad day because Kage is almost here," Grimmjow commented as they came to the playroom door.

Aizen waited outside with Ichigo as Grimmjow dropped Yazu off with Ulquiorra. He came out and sighed, looking at Ichigo again.

"Ya sure about this?" he asked, glancing at Aizen as he stood there.

"Unfortunately," Aizen commented as Ichigo gave him a glare. "He's already tried to punch me once for suggesting it wasn't a good idea."

"Tried, huh?" Grimmjow muttered, realizing what that statement meant.

Tried meant he hadn't been able to. That meant that he wasn't anywhere near in any condition to really fight, but he needed to do something to burn off whatever mood he was in. He snorted. "Alright, but let's stay near Szayel's, just in case something goes wrong." Grimmjow put his hand on Pantera at his hip and turned to lead them to a nearby empty room. It wasn't one of the training rooms, but it would be fine for a match with Ichigo in his condition.

Ichigo lit into Grimmjow as much as he possibly could as soon as they were inside the room. Grimmjow didn't have a lot of trouble blocking him, though, and he could tell the strikes were weakened. He carefully pressed back, letting Ichigo struggle a bit to keep him on his toes. The match was awkward, with a lot of longer than normal pauses for Ichigo to catch his breath. It was obvious it was taking a toll on him quickly, but he wouldn't give it up. He seemed driven to continue with the fight no matter how slow and clumsy he became. Grimmjow was patient though, and slowed down as Ichigo slowed down, which seemed to frustrate Ichigo even further. He became reckless with his strikes, which was nothing new for him.

Aizen was about to tell him to stop when he finally just fell to his knees, panting with Zangetsu holding him up. Grimmjow put away Pantera and knelt in front of Ichigo.

"You okay?" he asked.

Ichigo looked up, eyes still reflecting anger. "I'm fine," he growled. "I can still fight."

Before Aizen could say that wasn't a good idea, though, he tipped forward, falling into Grimmjow. Grimmjow caught him, holding him up. "After a nap," Ichigo panted, eyes slipping closed.

Between the two of them, Grimmjow and Aizen managed to get him to Szayel's to make sure nothing was wrong. Szayel immediately scanned him, checking on Kage and Ichigo.

"He's just passed out. No change in the baby," Szayel commented as he looked over the readings. "However, I think it's a good thing that Uryū and Orihime are coming today and not much later. I mean, he won't have a productive labor, but the womb will still try to eject the baby like normal without an exit for him. I'd say any time now, he'll start experiencing the first stages of it."

Aizen stayed with him as he slept for most the rest of the day. He finally woke up after everyone else had gone back to their rooms for the night.

"Sōsuke?" he asked and reached out for him.

"You're awake. Are you feeling better?" Aizen asked as he put a hand on Ichigo's head.

"I don't remember much from today. I just remember being really angry for some reason…what happened?" Ichigo said.

Aizen sighed. "I was afraid you weren't entirely with the world. You wanted to fight with Grimmjow. Well, anyone. You even tried to punch me for suggesting it was a bad idea in your condition."

Ichigo was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry…" he said softly, looking away from him.

"No, it's fine, as long as you are feeling better now. Grimmjow was careful and let you work out your aggression, wherever it came from. It was rather awkward trying to fight right now for you, but you gave it your best even so," Aizen assured him. "I think you should stay here tonight, though, so Szayel can keep an eye on you. He believes Kage might be wanting to arrive anytime now."

"Are Ishida and Inoue here?" he asked, turning back to Aizen again.

"They are. They got here earlier. I've given them each a room to stay in for the night. They've already been in to check on you and set up the medical equipment that they will need to perform the Cesarean for you." Aizen ran a hand through Ichigo's loose hair. "Here, let me tie your hair back up. It came loose while you were fighting with Grimmjow."

He had brought his brush with him from their room. He had Ichigo sit up and he carefully brushed his hair back and braided it for him. Ichigo was quiet the entire time. Aizen helped him lay back down and looked at him for a while.

"Are you going to sleep again?" Aizen asked softly.

Ichigo nodded. "I'm really tired."

"I'll leave you to rest. Are you going to be alright here? Szayel is going to stay in the next room, and the twins have gone to spend the night with Yazu so he can be nearby and ready."

"I'll be fine," Ichigo told him. "I just want to rest."

Aizen left him and headed to their room. He found himself sitting on the bed and wondering at what was happening to him. As much as he had wanted power, and as much as he wanted to be the one in control, he had changed so much. He opened his Kusodo and placed a hand on the hogyuku. Could it be that something so simple could come of something so complicated? All he wanted was everything, and now he was waiting for his own child to be born. What had led him here? Why?

He slipped under the covers of the bed and fell asleep, dreaming about what life would be life with his own child to care for.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo ended up not leaving the lab because the next morning, he woke up in mild pain. Szayel summoned Uryū and Orihime immediately and called Aizen to come to the lab again.

"Has it started?" Aizen asked as Ichigo sat on the bed breathing deeply.

"I think so. I don't want to start the surgery until we're sure, though. So, we'll give it some time," Szayel told them. "We don't want to take the baby before he's completely ready."

Aizen took Ichigo's hand. "How do you feel?"

Ichigo looked up at him and frowned. "Like with the others, kind of. It feels a little different than before though. I can't feel the chamber in the same way. Like, it feels real, not spiritual."

"It's because the changes are physical," Uryū said as he came into the room. "There's an actual, physical womb that has formed, so it will feel more 'real' I would imagine."

"How long do you think it will be?" Aizen asked as Orihime came into the room.

"It's hard to say. There's no way to check other than the ultrasound. I would say when the pain becomes to the point it's obvious he needs to be relieved. It could be an hour to a day." Orihime put a hand on Ichigo's back and rubbed it gently. "Of course, that's assuming that things will go like a human delivery."

Things didn't take much longer to become obvious that Kage was going to arrive sooner rather than later. They decided that it was time to prepare for the surgery.

"What do you need me to do?" Aizen asked as Uryū had Ichigo sit on the side of the bed as he ran the epidural. This wasn't his specialty, but he had practiced a few times to jog his memory of how to do it. He was hoping that working on Arrancar was the same as working on humans. Ichigo was obviously in pain because he'd gone quiet and had been for quite a while now.

"Just hold his hand," Uryū said as he helped him lay back on the bed. "Things below the waist should go completely numb in a little while," he explained.

Ichigo hadn't felt like eating anything since he'd woken up that morning, which they were glad of. He wasn't saying anything at all, and Aizen began to worry a little bit as Uryū set up things for the surgery to begin. Orihime watched the anesthesia and made sure it was working correctly. Szayel would watch the epidural while Orihime assisted with the surgery. Uryū set up everything else he needed and then started to put up a barrier between Ichigo and the surgery site.

"No, leave it open. I want to see," Ichigo said and put a hand on Uryū to stop him from putting it up.

"Are you sure?" Uryū asked.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I want to watch when you take him out."

Uryū nodded, leaving the area open as he set up to begin. Orihime stood on the other side and both Ichigo and Aizen watched intently as he cut through Ichigo's abdomen, finding that much like a human woman, the uterus was easily accessible from that point. He checked to make sure that Ichigo couldn't feel anything and continued, cutting open the womb and retrieving the baby from inside easily. It was even simpler than doing a Caesarean on a human. He passed Kage over to Orihime who was waiting with a blanket to take him. He then clamped the cord and cut it, allowing Orihime to lay Kage on Ichigo's chest while he sutured him.

Ichigo looked slightly dazed as he looked him over. He looked just like a perfect little baby. There were no signs of him being an Arrancar at all, and his little body was perfectly formed as though he were human or Shinigami. Ichigo smiled, looking up at Aizen.

"Sōsuke, can you believe it?" he asked.

"Not at all," Aizen whispered, touching the infant gently. "Not at all…"


	20. When Time Moves Forward

Ichigo woke up with a bit of a headache, but that might have been related to the fact he'd been up three times already during the night to feed or comfort Kage. He had no idea how much different having a non-Arrancar baby would be. He required constant attention and was taking almost all of Ichigo's energy. Aizen was helping as much as he could, taking turns getting up during the night to feed and cuddle Kage, but Ichigo seemed extremely drained while recovering from the cesarean and afterward.

Aizen rolled over to see the baby was awake once again, but this time he looked to be happy. He giggled a little and made a cooing noise. Aizen found himself smiling, reaching out and letting his little hand grip his finger tightly. Kage smiled and pulled the finger to his mouth where he chewed on it for a minute.

"I don't think I want to have another baby that way," Ichigo muttered with his hands over his still healing belly. "The recovery is harder."

Aizen was focused on the baby, but he looked over to see Ichigo was staring at the ceiling. "I think you've given enough of yourself for these children," Aizen commented. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, occupying Kage with his finger still.

Ichigo was quiet for a moment. "I feel okay, mostly clear. No butterflies this morning, so that's a good sign. I didn't have any nightmares, but then I was up with Kage several times during the night."

Aizen nodded. "Do you want to go see the others today? I'm sure that Hisashi is probably crying already."

"I think we should go see them. I don't want to leave Hisashi alone for too long," he said and rolled to sit up on the side of the bed.

"They set the swing up in the playroom," Aizen pointed out.

"That's good," Ichigo said as he slipped into a clean yukata.

Kage seemed occupied with Aizen for a moment, so Ichigo went to the bath and decided to shower. He was kind of happy to get a few minutes alone since he'd spent so much time with Kage lately. As he was finishing, he hard the sound of Kage getting very fussy about something. He sighed, wrapping his hair in a towel and getting into his yukata quickly to see what was the matter. He came into the bedroom and smiled.

Aizen had Kage in his arms and was studiously feeding him with one of the bottles. He had a look on his face that would have been foreign to anyone who expected Aizen to be who he once was, but Ichigo knew better. He knew him as Sōsuke and Kage's father.

"I see you got him settled down," Ichigo said, coming into the room and drying his hair still.

Aizen looked up and smiled at him. "He was just a little hungry," he said and looked back down at the baby fondly.

"If you can get him to sleep, I need my hair put up," he said, feeling a tinge of jealousy flash through him since Kage had all of Aizen's attention right then. He shook it away. That was silly, being jealous of his own child. Still, the feeling remained.

Aizen did manage to get him to sleep and put him down on the bed. He sucked at his fingers as he slept. He turned to Ichigo who was standing there just watching.

"My dear, come. You've been so patient and wonderful. But you do deserve some of my attention," he told Ichigo.

Ichigo looked at him. Had he been that obvious? He didn't think he was _that_ transparent. He just nodded, though and sat down beside Aizen on the bed to let him brush and put up his hair. Ichigo couldn't help it. His hair had always been the one area that Aizen could control him with. It felt so nice to have him brush it and run his hands through it. He remembered a time before he had long hair, but that was a different him. That was the old him. Aizen got to the end of the braid, tying it off and putting his hands on Ichigo's shoulders from behind.

"I know having the little one will be tough. But he's already three months old. He won't stay small forever, and as he gets bigger, the time he takes up from both of us will lessen. Soon, his brothers and sisters will be able to help out with him, too." He squeezed his shoulders comfortingly as he spoke, and Ichigo couldn't help but relax.

"I know," Ichigo said, sighing. "It's just a big change from the Arrancar babies. They required so much less attention because of how fast they grow early on."

"Now, they will slow a bit, so the rest of their years will come more normally. Soon, they'll be adolescents, then adults. And we will still be here," he said and Ichigo put a hand over Aizen's where it lay on his shoulder still.

"Yeah, here we will be," Ichigo sighed.

"But for now, let's go take Kage to the playroom with the others. I'm sure they're already gathered there."

Ichigo nodded, carefully reaching over and picking up Kage without waking him. Aizen watched with a slight smile on his face. "I have no idea how you move him without waking him," he muttered as Ichigo tucked Kage against his chest and looked over toward Aizen.

They headed to the playroom together. As soon as the door opened they heard Yazu.

"Dam!" she called as she came running.

Ichigo put his finger to his lips and shushed her. She frowned but was quiet. He took Kage over to the swing and set him carefully down into it, still staying asleep.

"Can you play now, Dam?" Yazu said as quietly as she possibly could. Which wasn't that quiet.

"Shush," he reminded her. "Yes, I can come play while Kage sleeps."

Aizen sat down beside the swing and watched him with something akin to wonder at the fact he could stay asleep despite being moved.

Ichigo went over and kissed Hisashi on the head where he sat at the table coloring studiously. He was so enraptured that he hadn't even noticed when Ichigo came into the room. He looked up, gasping.

"Dam!" he said. "Look what I colored for you! I was waiting forever for you to get here!" he said, showing Ichigo a cat sitting on a box that he'd colored.

"It's very nice," he said and sat down beside him.

Hisashi leaned over and grabbed Ichigo in a hug. "I'm glad you're here!"

"I'm glad I'm here, too, Hisashi." Ichigo smiled, still feeling relatively clear but at the edge of his vision there was movement. _No_ , he thought, _not now_ , he begged with his own mind.

"Dam?" Hisashi asked.

Ichigo shook it away and turned to him. "Yes, sorry. I'm here."

"Good," Hisashi told him with a nod of his orange head. "Because I don't want you to go away today."

Ichigo smiled. "I don't ever want to go away, Hisashi."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"You realize that there's something left to do," Shiro said pointedly as soon as Ichigo entered his inner world.

"Yes, but I don't want to do it," Ichigo sighed.

"You've gone through it so far, Ichigo. You must finish your path to the other side. What will you decide?" Zangetsu asked from his position nearby watching intently.

"I don't want to decide," Ichigo said. "How can I decide on this? How can I even come close to making this sort of decision?"

"Ya can't sleep without remembering. Maybe facing your greatest fear will make it go away," Shiro put his arms around Ichigo's shoulders from behind.

"It won't ever go away," Ichigo shivered, turning around in Shiro's loose grip to face him. "Even if I face it."

Shiro pushed Ichigo away at arm's length and looked at him. "You have to decide. You have to face it. That's the only way to be done with it."

"But the nightmares will never go away no matter what I do. Why does it matter?"

"It matters because it's your heart. You have to choose." Shiro gave him a sad smile. "I can't choose for you; I'm just one piece of you."

Ichigo swallowed thickly and turned away from him. "How do I do it? Will they even let me?"

"They'll do it for you. I'll help." Shiro stood behind him and put his hands on his shoulders from behind. "I'm always there, and I'll help you stay clear enough to say whatever it is you want to say."

"What do I want to say?" he asked, looking up at the sky. It was starting to cloud again as his heart grew heavy.

Zangetsu spoke. "You know at your heart what it is that you must do. The decision was already made when you asked the question."

"But to do this, to go this far, can I do it?"

"You can. You've faced everything else already. You've seen all the people that hurt you and you forgave them each and every one. Even if you didn't say it in words, your actions told the tale. You must take the last step in this journey, King," Shiro said quietly.

Ichigo turned around and hugged Shiro against him suddenly. "Okay," he whispered. "I'll tell them I want to see Kurotsuchi. I don't know how I'll react to seeing him, and I know I'll need your help."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Jūshirō and Shunsui were going to be the ones to go to Agartha to take the final treaty to be signed by both the Agarthans and Sōsuke Aizen. It had taken the last several years to iron out all the details and set up a treaty that was acceptable to everyone. In the meantime, there had been several smaller agreements to keep the peace while the overall agreement was debated between all three factions.

"Are you ready?" Shunsui asked Jūshirō as he stood in front of the senkaimon.

"Do you think he'll bring Ichigo out of Las Noches for this?" he wondered.

Shunsui shook his head. "I know not, but if he does, that will be something you have to deal with. Do you think you will be fine handling this?"

Jūshirō nodded. "I think I will be fine. I know that this is necessary to keep the peace between all of us. I will deal with seeing Sōsuke Aizen again," he said as he looked at Shunsui.

"Let's go, my friend," Shunsui said as they stepped through to go to Agartha.

They were met outside the entrance by Imelda. The Agarthans, though they had no leader officially had chosen Imelda as their spokesperson. She was by far one of the most diplomatic of the Arrancar they had met, and she was familiar with both Las Noches and the aspects of the agreement.

"Kyōraku-taichou, Ukitake-taichou. Good to see you both," Imelda said as they approached, smiling at them.

"Ah, yes, how are those twins of yours coming along, then?" Shunsui asked as he bowed slightly at her.

"They are much bigger now. I must say, your hat is safe from their clutches these days," she responded with a slight grin.

Shunsui chuckled. "That is a good thing, dear Imelda. Are we the first to arrive?"

"You are. We're expecting the group from Las Noches at any time," Imelda said as she led them through the corridors to the large open room with the round conference table.

She had them seat themselves on one side of the table. On another, Imelda sat down with owlish-looking Arrancar beside her. After a few minutes they heard noise and looked up to see Nel leading Aizen. He had brought Ichigo with him, after all. Ichigo looked like he was in a good place, though, looking around and meeting his eyes when he looked at him. Aizen took up a seat opposite the others at the table and Ichigo sat with him. They had also brought Grimmjow, who just stood behind them against the wall.

"We are all here," Imelda announced. "I would first like to thank each of you for coming to Agartha. I feel that it is as close to a neutral ground as can be found for the three of us. Since Agartha has no stake in any warring between your two factions, we stay removed from any conflicts."

Shunsui looked over at Aizen and saw that he was focused on Imelda. Ichigo, though, was looking mostly at each of them. He placed the paper folder down on the table toward the middle.

"Here is the final drafted copy of the treaty agreement between the three of us. Our people have already signed off on what is in there. Nothing has changed from the agreements we made when we last met," Shunsui pointed out.

Imelda picked up the folder and took out the agreement. It was deceptively short for something so important.

"Agatha gains free travel to and from Las Noches and Soul Society as well as permission to begin a trade route between each location. Las Noches gains benefit of the trade agreement and clemency for all involved in the previous war with Soul Society provided Sōsuke Aizen and the Espada do not, at any time, enter Soul Society." She looked between the pair of Shinigami and Aizen. "Other Las Noches Arrancar are allowed to travel between. Soul Society gains trading privileges with both Las Noches and Agartha, and freedom for their people to travel between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. Soul Society also agrees to the complete cessation of all experimentation and research on live hollow or Arrancar test subjects. They agree to allow Ichigo Kurosaki to remain in Hueco Mundo without interference. All breeches of this agreement will be taken up with the originating faction's legal system. The technicalities are spelled out for the trade agreements. Are there any questions about the content of the finalized treaty?" Imelda spoke firmly as she looked through the papers.

She handed the agreement over to Aizen and he looked through it. He obviously found nothing out of place because he nodded.

"These terms are acceptable."

Aizen took the pen he was offered and signed at the last page of the agreement before handing it back and watching as Imelda did the same. Shunsui was surprised everything was going as smoothly as it was going. So far, other than a little tension, things were agreeable. He noted that Ichigo had started flickering his eyes about the room, as though seeing something they could not. It still made Shunsui sad to know what they had done to him.

"With that, the agreement between our three communities has been concreted. I would invite you all to come back to our beach and visit with us while we hold a celebratory feast," Imelda said with a smile.

Ichigo nodded and grabbed Aizen's arm. "Let's," he said quietly.

Shunsui nodded. "We would be honored," he said and received a glare from Jūshirō.

Before long, they were all at the underground beach where tables had been sat up filled with various food creations that the Agarthans regularly consumed. Shunsui watched as Ichigo seemed to cling to Aizen's arm, as though afraid he might lose him in the crowd. To Shunsui's surprise, Aizen patted his hand gently and didn't seem to mind at all. Grimmjow followed them, talking to various Arrancar he seemed to know as they walked along together. Jūshirō looked decidedly uncomfortable and standoffish.

"Come, you must try some of this while you're here," Shunsui told him and led him to one of the tables where several mushroom dishes were offered. "I had this on my last visit; you won't regret trying it!"

Jūshirō reluctantly tried the dish, and after a little bit, Shunsui thought he seemed to be loosening up a little bit. He was happy to see him let go a little and have some fun. He hadn't seen him do something like that in a long time. He introduced him to several of the Arrancar he knew, and they chatted about the different things. Alma cornered him and told him all about her mushrooms while pointing to the various dishes. Ratri and Artemisia said hello with their daughter, Niobe. Dima zipped over, with Liron and Lior right behind him, seeming to easily keep up with their Dam.

Finally, after a couple of hours, Shunsui and Jūshirō bid Imelda and the others farewell. They had to get the signed document back to Soul Society. Together, they headed back in silence to the Head Captain's office with the treaty. As they approached, Shunsui spoke up.

"That went better than I expected," he pointed out to Jūshirō.

The white-haired captain nodded. "Indeed, it seemed almost too easy. I'm still wary of Sōsuke Aizen."

"As well we should be, but we can keep a better eye on him like this than any other way," Shunsui explained. "We can have our people inside Las Noches at any time, and with the Agarthans."

"Is that why they agreed? Because we'll better be able to survey him like this?" Jūshirō asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Yama-jii is smart; he's not going to let an opportunity pass him by." Shunsui opened the door to the office.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"You want ta what?" Grimmjow asked with wide eyes.

Ichigo nodded, arms crossed over his chest. They were in the playroom while the kids were all taking an afternoon nap. Most of them, anyway. "I want to meet with Kurotsuchi."

Aizen stared at him for a moment then shook his head. "No, this is not a good idea for you. There is no telling the effects that encountering the man that was the source of the vast majority of the torture you endured. I cannot allow it."

Ichigo frowned. "It's my decision though. I chose to forgive the others, and I have to face Kurotsuchi the same way I faced all of them. I have to do this, don't you see?"

"Why do you have to do this?" Aizen asked with a deep frown lining his brows.

Swallowing, Ichigo sighed. "Shiro says that I have to do this to get through it. And Zangetsu agrees. I know what needs to happen, and this is what needs to happen."

Aizen just looked at him, almost in shock at what Ichigo was asking. Grimmjow shook his head and spoke up instead. "How exactly do you expect this to happen? We can't enter Soul Society, and there is no way yer gonna go meet with the bastard without us behind you."

"He'll have to come here," Ichigo explained.

"How do you expect for that to happen? He's been confined to his lab," Aizen reminded him.

"Then they'll have to let him leave so he can come here. This is something I _need_ to do. This isn't something I just wat to do. I don't _want_ to see him every again; I see him too often in my dreams," Ichigo swiped a hand across in front of him to shoo the butterflies that were trying to gather the more stressed he got with the conversation.

"Just talking about it makes your symptoms worse, Ichigo. How are you going to even stay with the world long enough to talk to him and do what you think you need to do?" Aizen asked.

Ichigo growled, waving both hands in front of his face. "Don't you think I know that? That's why I have to do this! I have to get through it; there's no getting around it. Just like with the others; I had to see them, and then made the choice to forgive them. I have to make that choice again."

"Yer gonna choose to forgive him? For what he did?" Grimmjow asked, shocked a little at the thought.

"I don't know until I see him!" Ichigo exclaimed, shushing himself to keep quiet.

"I'll see what I can do. I will contact Soul Society and relay your request. They may not agree," Aizen said as he stood up.

"That's all I ask," Ichigo breathed out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Aizen left and Ichigo sat down at the table across from Grimmjow. Grimmjow stared at him a moment. "I can't believe you'd think of forgiving that bastard."

"It helps me," Ichigo said with a slight smile. "It might help with my nightmares if I face him."

Grimmjow didn't have anything else to say about that. They sat there quietly as they waited for Aizen to return or the children to start waking up. Of course, one of them wasn't as asleep as she seemed. Yazu had her back toward the table but was listening very closely to what the adults said. She knew that this man her Dam wanted to see must have done something terrible. She didn't know what the word "torture" meant, but it had to be something bad.

Aizen came back after a few minutes and nodded at Ichigo. "They've agreed to send him with Kyōraku and Ukitake. It took a bit of convincing, but the head captain agreed to the request."

Grimmjow growled under his breath. "This is a bad idea."

"I want all of the alphas to be there. I contacted Urahara and he has promised to get Ishida and Inoue to come to Hueco Mundo to watch the children while we are all in the meeting with you." Aizen stared at him. "That is the only way."

Ichigo nodded. "That's fine. I just need to see him and make the choice."

"I won't pretend I understand, but I'll be there with you," Aizen said as he put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

Just then, Kage cried out, startling Ichigo into standing up. He went to the swing and retrieved the baby and hugged him to his chest, soothing him. Aizen watched and shook his head, turning to Grimmjow.

"This may be a disaster," he muttered so only Grimmjow could hear him.

"Well, it'll be our disaster," Grimmjow returned, looking out to see Yazu was sitting up. "Brats are waking up, better be quiet about it."

The next week, everything had been arranged. Ichigo would meet with Kurotsuchi in one of the open dining rooms. All six off his mates and Aizen were going to be there when he arrived. It was coming close to the time that Kurotsuchi would be arriving, so Aizen got everyone seated in the room. Orihime and Uryū were with the children, and Urahara was going to escort Kurotsuchi and his two Shinigami guards. Shunsui and Jūshirō were both coming to keep Kurotsuchi from getting attacked and to keep him from attacking anyone else.

Urahara came into the room first, followed by Kurotsuchi. Ichigo's heart stopped in his chest and he wondered if he could do this after all.

 _I can't do this._

 _Yes, you can. I'm here, remember?_ came the echo in his mind.

Ichigo closed his eyes, trying to control the urge to ether try to destroy the cause of so much of his torment, or the run away. Both thoughts were in the forefront of his mind as he stood there. He reached into himself and pulled the power that Shiro offered to keep his head clear long enough to do this. He had to do this.

"I'm here," Kurotsuchi said with a snarl to his voice.

Ichigo opened his eyes, and they were black and gold. "I know."

"What do you want me here for?" Kurotsuchi looked annoyed at the whole situation. "I have better things to be doing than coming here to entertain some childish impulse you have to tell me how horrible I have been and what I did was wrong. I've heard the arguments already enough times."

Ichigo nodded. "That's not why I asked you here."

"What then?" Kurotsuchi said, looking at the six Arrancar behind Ichigo and back to him. "Do you expect to exact your revenge like this?"

"I don't want revenge," Ichigo told him, smiling sadly at him. "Quite the opposite. I admit to this being entirely selfish on my part, and I'm sorry to have taken you from Soul Society, but it was the only way. The Espada and Sōsuke cannot enter Soul Society, so they would not permit me to go there alone."

"All of this I know," Kurotsuchi snapped. "If you have something to say to me, do so."

Ichigo nodded, feeling Shiro's influence starting to fade and he knew his eyes were bleeding back to normal because the butterflies were starting to impinge on his vision at the edges. So many… "You tortured me for five years, and I was unable to escape you or what you were doing."

"Yes, yes," Kurotsuchi said with a wave of his hand. "You call it torture, I call it research."

"No matter what you call it, it was hell for me. But after all that, what I wanted you here for was to tell you…I forgive you." Ichigo's eyes were starting to fade back to brown quickly. He smiled while he still had control enough. "After everything you did, I want you to know, I forgive you."

Kurotsuchi seemed to have been stunned into silence. He obviously didn't know how to react to what Ichigo had just said. No one in the room really knew how to react.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, the butterflies are coming and I must sequester myself until it's over…"

Ichigo turned on his heel and walked over to Aizen, grabbing his hand. His eyes bled completely back to normal and then widened.

"So many," he whispered as he stared past Aizen's head.

"Yes, come," Aizen said as he led Ichigo out of the room.

There was a moment of silence before Grimmjow spoke up. "Just because he forgave ya doesn't mean any of us have. If it weren't for him, I would say damn the treaty and rip your fucking throat out. But Ichigo doesn't want that, so we won't touch you. But know that if his mind ever changes, we will find a way to destroy you," he turned and left.

Kurotsuchi just stared as each of the Espada in turn left, the dark-skinned one with tusks pausing before he left. "I'm sure you don't remember. I was in your tests, and I was forced to try and claim Ichigo before I was powerful enough to do so. You have caused untold pain, and you will never be forgiven by me."

"We should go back," Shunsui said. "The head captain will want a report on what happened."

Grimmjow headed to the playroom to take back over watching the kids from Orihime and Uryū. Starrk and Ulquiorra followed him, apparently having the same idea. He opened the door to find that Orihime was laid out on her back in the pillow crash pad and Uryū was sitting at the table beside the swing with his head down on his arms. The kids were all sitting around the table busy with coloring books currently.

"Did they wear you out already?" Grimmjow asked as he came up to the table.

"I'm here!" Uryū said sitting up. He blinked and looked at the three Arrancar. "Oh, you're back!"

"Yeah, seems like you two got the rough treatment while we were gone," he smirked.

Yazu came running over and threw her arms around Grimmjow. "Dad. We had fun with Princess lady and Glasses man."

"I see that," he responded, watching as Orihime pulled herself out of the pile of pillows to stand up.

"They're so…active!" Orihime said as she walked over, hair sticking out in different directions on her head.

"They can be," Starrk said, yawning as he took a seat.

"Once Urahara comes back from taking them from Soul Society back, he'll take you two home," Grimmjow said as Yazu ran back over to color. "They seem pretty calm now."

"Now!" Uryū said. "They were running crazy a few minutes ago and I couldn't get Kage to sleep because of the noise and there was so much going on! I don't know how you keep up with eight of them all the time."

Orihime frowned. "Where's Kurosaki-kun?" she asked.

"Oh, he was having a bit of an episode after seeing Kurotsuchi again," Grimmjow explained. "He went to his room with Aizen."

Hisashi, who was watching them, burst into tears. Starrk sighed, standing up and going over to the little boy, telling him that Dam would be back soon. Grimmjow looked over and shook his head. Yazu was already staring at Hisashi, obviously annoyed by her little brother's tearful outburst. The twins got up and toddled over, still not completely stable in walking yet.

"Unc? Unc?" they both said.

Grimmjow looked at them and smiled. "What do you brats want?" he asked.

"We like Princess…" one began.

"…and Glasses!" the other finished. They'd begun talking quite well over the last six months after Kage was born. They still talked to each other in their own language, but at least they were talking regular speech now.

Makiko looked over and ignored everyone, continuing her coloring. Ryoto got up and grabbed Tamashini by one of her hands and pulled her to stand.

"Dancing!" he exclaimed.

"I don't wanna dance!" Tamashini complained, walking with him anyways.

"Be nice, Ryoto," Grimmjow called.

"Does he always move so much?" Orihime asked. "He was dancing almost the whole time you were goner!"

"He's quite excitable. He's showing aptitude at learning fighting techniques already," Starrk said as he sat down at the table, still holding Hisashi in his arms. The little boy was still sniffling but had stopped crying loudly.

Urahara came into the playroom then, smiling. "Well, the Soul Society visitors are back where they belong. How dd you two do with the babysitting duties?"

"I think taking care of eight kids at once is more than I'd like to do on a regular basis," Uryū said as he stood up.

"Did they keep you occupied?" Urahara asked, smiling as Ryoto danced by him with Tamashini.

"More than occupied," Orihime said. "I've taken care of Tatsuki's baby before, but it was nothing like this bunch. They're so busy!"

"Yeah, that they are," Urahara said. "Are you ready to return."

Both Orihime and Uryū nodded and followed Urahara out to head back to the World of the Living. Grimmjow set about being climbed on by the twins shortly thereafter. Hisashi finally just fell asleep in Starrk's arms so he got up and laid down with him in the crash pillows. All in all, everything was back to normal for them.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo stretched his arms over his head and yawned. He blinked and looked up to realize that the butterflies had gone. That was good, because yesterday after meeting with Kurotsuchi, they had been particularly bad.

"Are you awake?" he heard.

"Yeah," he answered and turned over to face Aizen in their bed.

"How are you today?" he asked, smiling at him.

"I think I'm good," Ichigo told him and smiled back. "The butterflies are gone for now, so everything is okay."

"I'm glad. It was a pretty rough afternoon and evening for you last night," Aizen told him.

"I kind of remember it. I'm sorry if I said anything I shouldn't have," he said, reaching out and cupping Aizen's face with his hand.

Aizen covered his hand with his own and shook his head. "No need to apologize."

"I'll have to see the children today. Did someone else take Kage last night?" he asked.

"Grimmjow, actually, volunteered to watch him last night. I didn't know he even liked the baby," Aizen said with a smirk.

"I should get up and go see them," he said as he sat up on the side of the bed. "Hisashi will cry if I'm not there today."

Aizen sat up as well. "Yes, you don't want that."

Ichigo stopped in front of the mirror. This time, he stared at himself and didn't feel lie it was another person staring back at him. He put his hands over the scar on his stomach where Kage was born. This was him.

"Is everything alright?" Aizen asked, walking up behind him and kissing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, it's just…the first time I've recognized the person in the mirror," he said, reaching out and touching the surface lightly with his fingers. "That's me; who I am now."

"Yes, it is," Aizen confirmed, settling his hands on Ichigo's hips. He kissed his shoulder softly.

Ichigo turned around and met his lips suddenly. Aizen kissed him back, their tongues tangling in a slow dance. Ichigo pulled back, gasping a little. "I think the kids can wait a few minutes," he said, eyes hooding and sliding his hands over Aizen's chest.

A couple hours later, they made it to the playroom. As usual, he heard a squealed "Dam!" from Hisashi as he came and nearly tackled him with a hug. Luckily he was still small and he didn't knock Ichigo down. At least not yet. Yazu came running over too, her doll tucked securely under her arm.

"Dam! You're having a good day today?" she asked excitedly.

Ichigo smiled, looking around the room at the children. _His_ children. "Yazu, I'm having a wonderful day."


End file.
